You, Perfect? No way. A Goodreads quote

Many people, i always thought, quite erroneously, that they are perfect and make no mistakes.
They think they are gods.  Hello, you, if you are one of them, are NOT.
Realize it.

and here is someone who agrees with it

Perfection is not a thing to aspire for.  It means unchanging and static, and dead.

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. 

Anna Quindlen

Happy 62nd birthday, Anna Quindlen! The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist also writes novels, including One True Thing, Black and Blue, and Blessings.

Weekend of June 20-22

I had an activity-filled this particular weekend 20-22 June 2014

Friday night - twas Winnie Avila's birthday blowout at 106 Maginhawa.
Ricci and Sipen brought out 2 bottles of red wine.  i didnt get to read the label.

So i got home a little later than usual.

Saturday - i woke up late as i usually do on weekends.
i got myself out of the house by 3 past in the afternoon to go the NKTI - i have laboratory exams on the 28th so i made advanced payments.  i was done before 3:30

My friends the Lims picked me up - Yes, they are very nice people - and we went to the wake of Dale Amor Villamor's parents. Her mom Maria L. Villamor and Atty. Alfredo Villamor died 14 June and her Dad followed on her birthday, 17 June..  we attended the Sunday Eucharist and left a little pass 8 pm

Wake of Dale's Mom - 17 June 2014, Jerry and I sitting, Kay, Vee, Manny, Pegs, Amihan, Boboy, Alice

We went to the wake also to greet Dale "Happy Birthday".   Her Dad died the morning of her birthday. Her mom the Sat before

The Lims then drove to Lito Sibayan's home at La Vista - and promised me that i wouldnt have to negotiate the slope down (it is a sharp incline from their main door to the street).

and whoa -
David Pomeranz - Lito Sibayan's Surprise Saturday Guest
I remember David Pomeranz has having written some of the songs that Barry Manilow sang.
i have a complete set of BM discs

This included "Tryin to Get the Feeling Again", "The Old Songs",

and he gave a short impromtu concert..

that sked tired me out terribly

A Goodreads quote - You become the place .......

Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow. 

Anita Desai

Happy 77th birthday, Anita Desai! When asked how she begins work each morning, the author of Clear Light of Day and The Artist of Disappearance says that she reads poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke, C.P. Cavafy, Osip Mandelstam, and Joseph Brodsky.

The place, the time, the events, and the people around shape us.
We do not live in sterile little worlds

A SPOT-ON Goodreads quote

You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful. 

Amy Bloom

Happy 61st birthday, Amy Bloom! After selling her first novel, in her mid thirties, Bloom decided to buy it back because she thought that it wasn't good enough. Instead, her first publication was a short story collection, Come to Me, that was shortlisted for a National Book Award

So true.

Food trip -Chicken burger when i dont want to cook in Maginhawa

Naturally,  this would fall on delivered goods.

i like burger so i've tried everything burger out there

For example, there's Burger Project - the one i go to is along Maginhawa. I like the fact that one can have jalapenos, Or take Big, Better, Best Burgers.  I like the char-broiled ones..........

but well, let us face it, beef is heavy on the stomach.  So i remembered that there's Good Burgers
you have a choice of chicken patties or veggie patties.

i prefer the chicken patties.  i like my veggies to look like veggies although i have enjoyed vegetarian restos.
so here's the menu for Good Burgers

Burger Name                                                                        good         better      best
Just Burger                                                                             70             80           95
(mayo, ketchup)
Garlic Burger                                                                          90             100         115
(coleslaw, bq sauce)
Salsa Mex - yes with coleslaw so + 15                            90             100         115
(salsa, cheese)
Cheesy Mushroom                                                                90             100         115
(mushrooms, cheese bq sauce)
Silly Burger                                                                              90             100         115
(sour cream, garlic chilli, cheese)
Persian Burger - yes                                                              90             100         115
(roasted onions and peppers, garlic aloli sauce)
BLT - yes                                                                                  105            115         120
(cheese, mayo, bacon bits, lettuce, tomatoes, onions)
Bacon Mozza Melt  -yes                                                      110            120         135
(bacon bits, mozzarella, mayo)
Margherita Burger  - yes                                                      110            120         135
(roasted tomatoes, cheese, mozzarella, basil)

3-Cheeses                                                                                  110            120         135
(cream cheese, mozzarella, cheese sauce)

you can add on stuff - choose one for the peso value listed on the left 

like for 15 pesos - salsa; garlic chili; alolli sauce; bbq sauce; mushrooms, coleslaw; lettuce, tomato, mayo

for 20 pesos - bacon bits; sour cream; herb cheese; garlic cream cheese

for 25 pesos - cottage cheese, mozzarella

the telephone at the Maginhawa place IS 435-4663

those marked with yes are burgers i've eaten and enjoyed -

and well, thought you might enjoy it too.

and THEY DELIVER!  at least to where i live, and where i work 

try it

i didnt list the side dishes but i like the chx and chips too

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 .....

A short, partial list of food places we''ve been

Roberta's Flavors of Asia - Maginhawa Street - cant remember when

The ambiance is that of a canteen, but the food is good.
we had the lamb, the 3-choice appetizer, and of course, the watermelon tinola, and the shrimp salad.
the price is terrific for the pocket, and the taste is superior,

i've been able to duplicate the shrimp salad - although mine is a bit more tangier, something i did deliberately.

Scorecard:  Food a 7, Place a 5

Chercio - 76 Scout Limbaga, Morato area
Sometime Feb or March this year

The food was good. I especially liked the platter, because it allowed a smattering of  the different dishes. The tadyang was pretty good, too.  Dessert was alright.
The plac was another one of those white places, some with black couches and white wooden chairs

Scorecard:    8, 7

Nomama - Scout Tuason, near Morato

after the hype we received about this resto, my friends and i were excited about eating there.

The place was interesting    =   bright, all glass, sparkly

unfortunaely the food didnt live up to the hype.  The food was just
The best dish - and we spent a lot of money there - was shrimpt temputa, an old standby with me

Mesa - 254 Tomas Morato cor. Scount Fernandez.  Sharon Cuneta is part owner?

The place  comes across yellow-gold, but if you look around, you will find that the resto is no longer new.  The wait staff are equipped with tiny that holds a lighter (for those diners who need a light), pencils for taking orders, and a small pad. i just found it interesting.

The food was alright, and we indeed got catfish in a food - a signature dish.  But Muang Thai's catfish still beats the flavor.  I had to mix several sauces to complement the catfish better, and when i got it, i asked my friends to add it to the catfish.

i rather liked the butterflied tilapia, liking its crispy texture.  

Quezon - Maginhawa

Quezon favorites are available here to take home.  The smoked tapa is very good, but dont buy too much of it to take home because you will lose the flavor with satiety.

More next time -

Food Trip - Renato's Resto located at South Triangle Barangay

Renato's.  17B Scout Borromeo. South Triangle Barangay. QC

The place is beautiful, lots of white surfaces and a rather nice inviting alcove.

This is a good place for a small wedding reception, or a small batch reunion or a small party.  It would look fabulous with flowers for a wedding reception - and the white surfaces can only complement whatever color scheme of the bridal party.

When you enter the place, the left side has a large mirror atop a built-in table with large vases. Reminds of Thailand, probably because of the plants - which i've seen in Thailand.  This alcove has a very unusual shape, but very attractive and draws one eye towards a white wall - must have been feng shui when the place was still a home.  There's a bar on the right side and a music box on the left - would have been nice to have a piano bar, but well, the music was alright. the chairs were done in padded creamy gold and matted orange.

and then there's the food.

we had okoy - which was so-so, tawilis - which was very good, thai spring rolls - ho-hum, i think, crispy catfish - which was rather dry. Muang Thai (behind Heart Center) still holds the record for the best catfish in town for us , Fish balls a la Kieve - which had a very intriguing taste, stuffed chicken - which i didnt like at all and Crispy Pata - which was not as crispy as Ana Lisa's although the flavor was alright.

The score, from 1 - 10, 10 being perfect - it would score an average 6-7.

One thing though. The Groupon AD is NOT accurate about the prices.

Fitflops - a surprise - takes a load off your feet

i am disabled.

generally my pain is expressed  through my right leg, making my feet very choosy about footwear
i happened to find a pair in ebay that my feet might like.

the footwear?  Fitflops.  Supposedly authentic - well the price seems to be authentic

but never mind the price because my feet are happy - and i do try to pamper my feet

so if you are debating footwear and you have some money squirreled away
try fitflops - you will like the feel

Buying and Shopping - A Choice makes a Difference

Have you heard Deal Grocer's Retail Therapy?
Yes, they claim it is YOUR right.

While I have no arguments with that, but like everything, I also believe that our choices always make a difference ...

You say you support the Coral Reefs - but you buy coral jewelry.
Or support wildlife and buy ivory jewelry

Then you dont put your money where your mouth is -

Coral jewelry is lovely, but if you support say the barrier, then you cant continue to buy such stuff ....

Happy Weekend Folks

Ah May is almost at an end so happy weekend to all of you

what shall you be doing this weekend
if you are like me
a typical weekend is - i try to sleep in as much as i can except when i have laboratory exams,
and i do - this weekend.

then i wash clothes - well, yes, through the washing machine
i have one of those that finish the cycle and when finished, the clothes (or whatever) is drip dry
they i have to hang them on the clothesline, which is inside the roofed patio, terrazo, or whatever you call it
they dry very fast in this heat

then i cook, clean the ref (sometimes i have to defrost!!! i have the kind that needs defrosting because science and practicality taught me this is the better option

weekends i change the bed linens so i always have fresh linen when i start the week, i feel you have to stack the upcoming week with whatever niceties you can

if i have time this weekend, i shall cook callos, if not, well, i'll probly have nilagang beef
:)

Rage, Rage, againt the dying of the light - one of the poems that SAY something

this quote from dylan is certainly evocative of these times
indeed, the dying of the light is a phenomenon very special to the philippines
and particular in one government institution i shall call  Estres

well, in Estres, morale is at an all-time low, the light in the employees' eyes are dying
and well, their leader does not give a sh*t  nor a f*ck

AND well, it seems that the condition of the world is mostly like this -
i am glad that there are organizations that DO care, and DO give a da*n


For your convenience, here's the poem

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

BY DYLAN THOMAS

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,   

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” from The Poems of Dylan Thomas. Copyright 1939, 1946 by New Directions Publishing Corporation. Reprinted with the permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.

Here's my source

Dylan's Poem

A Goodreads quote on WORK - something to think about

Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Mondaythrough Friday sort of dying. 

Studs Terkel

Are you an SSS Member?

Yes?  Are you sure?

If you are sure.....  Why are you sure, or maybe i should ask, how are you sure?
The only real way to be sure is to check your SSS records.

You have got to be sure that your SSS records are correct.
If any of those records are in error, i guarantee that your claims for any and all benefits will take long because SSS  scrutinizes your records for every claim that you file ..... so DO NOT WAIT for a claim to clean-up your records

This is especially true for retirement claims.

First you have to check your personal details -
Is your name spelled correctly?  Is it complete?  Some members have double or triple names and your SSS records should reflect your legal name - your entire legal name.

Have you updated your E4?  Your E4 is the form that corrects personal details -
name, birthday, status (single, married, divorced, widowed), beneficiaries.
Remember many of these changes require proof of legality and correctness

Does your employer remit the proper contributions for you?
Remember, it could be an honest error on their part - and not because they are cheating you

It behooves you to check your contributions.

Are all your employers listed in your records?

Keeping your records straight will definitely facilitate the processing of your claims,
DO NOT wait until retirement before you check ..........

Your SSS pension and You

If you are 60 or more and are still employed, you obviously cannot get your SSS pension yet.
If you are 60 and not employed, you can already apply for your SSS pension provided you meet the required 120-months contribution.
If you are 60 and more, and not employed, and lack the 120 contributions, you can still continue to your contributions IF you wish to have a pension.

If you worked in the government sector (and thus had contributions for gsis), dont forget that you can combine the years of contribution for totalization

Meeting up with Fr. Minch Fabio and Fr. Ces Magsino

We met at Little Quiapo. Who's we - Alice and Manny, Amihan (whose Dad is again at NKTI), me, and the 2 Fathers - Father Ces and of course, Fr. Minch.

Little Quiapo is the resto behind SSS, along Malakas - nearest cross steets would be Matapang  on one end and VLuna Road at the other end and their main thing is Filipino cuisine.

Those of you who saw Belle's picture of Fr. Minch at Inday's would note that he has white hair, and is much thinner now although he pretty much looks the same.  He said he is a cancer survivor.  I guess that's part of the reason he's thinner.  He also got to view our pictorial records, the 2 huge scrapbooks, courtesy of Alice.

So he's based in Iloilo and is leaving on the 13th of this month.  Fr. Ces says he goes to Manila every now and then to do things.  When I asked what things - he said - visit the doctor (physician is the more accurate term), attend seminars and the like.  He said he was also open to be spiritual director for retreats .... DALE this answers your question.

He also asks for prayers from everyone, and promises to say prayers for us all also.
He also said i should  go to confession sooner than ,,,,,, rarely.  Every week is his recommendation.  I guess he saw the shock in my eyes because he said he knows it is hard, but to try to do it anyway.  i told him i have a personal confession everyday, but he said confessing to a priest gives one the assurance that one is forgiven.
i was going to tell him that i didnt need the assurance because i was very confident i was forgiven.  Fr. Ces did not comment on this exchange.

Btw, Fr. Ces knows how to get in touch with Willie Olaer, not directly - but through Willie's brother.

*** i had to go back to work, but i was lucky to get a personal blessing before i left
:-)

Fr. Minch is a member of the FB Sayans group Batch75

PICTURES COURTESY OF THE LIMS

Amihan, Fr. Ces, Fr. Minch, Alice, me

Amihan, Fr. Ces, Fr. Minch, Guia

Manny, Amihan, Fr. Ces

Fr. Ces

Frs Ces and Minch

A Batch 75 Reunion ....... at Inday's

Belle Catajoy Eleazar is in town, and reserved last night for a night to touch base with the batch. Inday and Tony Dans were our gracious hosts and the mini-reunion was held at their home in New Manila.

Tony is into fishes (and turtles) and eels.  The eel was solo in the aquarium in the formal dining room, and there was one tank in the sala, and i thought the colors were lovely. I have to get the pictures from maybe Dale who was snapping away like mad (she already has the pics posted in her facebook so you can go look now).

Alice and Manny picked me up at work and helped me with my potluck share of fresh lumpia (Ubod, actually and i would never have thought that 25 pcs would be that heavy) and the Lims brought salmon (brought frozen from Canada) and cooked by Manny (delicious), and drinks (Manny said beer).  Alice said we might be the first to arrive, but i said i didnt think so. When we got to Inday's, Amihan was the first!  We were shortly followed by Dale, and Vee Dulay - who i havent seen since freshman college days in UP  They brought cake (from cakes2go). Peggy followed bringing a small bilao of pancit malabon.  Janet was next, and she brought chicken.  Mianne brought ice cream and gelato. Benita brought fish - grilled boneless bangus - abd Someone brought karekare, with bagoong.

Inday asked me if i cooked the ubod, and i said no because there was no time to cook (i had work)

then i lost track of the arrival sequence.  the guys mostly brought wine - and they mostly drank it as well.. the women mostly drank water and soda and coffee.

so, a short recount of the people

of course Inday and Tony, sibs Belle and Jiben, Alice and Manny, me,  Amihan, Dale and Vee, Mianne,  Peggy, Benita, Janet and Chito, Lito, Albert, Dode, Doy, and i hope i did not miss anyone ....

they all thought about Kay and Maristel who celebrated their birthday yesterday.

So here's the latest from Belle.  She's in IT, yes in Canada (i think it was Toronto), with Honda, handling legacy systems - an IBM mainframe so she was in DB2, etc. etc.  She has 5 kids, the eldest is 25, and the youngest is 12.  All single.

Inday's son just got married last weekend, and we saw the pics.  The pics were lovely, documenting lovely people!  Janet's youngest is now 18, just like Boboy's youngest, Juancho is now a 3rd year student in Sayans and nope, Boboy did not make it to this reunion, but he joined us at the wake of Drabacs.

So they brought up the debate again on when we had Russian literature at Sayans.  I maintain we had it during our 4th year - I was Pi-Meson, and we had Brothers Karamazov, written by Fyodor Doestoevsky.  They maintain it was during 2nd year, but second year i was in Champaca, and i dont remember 

I never had a classmate for the entire four years.  I was Neptune (Mrs. Evaline Gerochi), Champaca (ah.... who was our advisor?), Argon, then Pi-Meson.

standing (l-r) Jiben, Albert, Dode, Mianne, Pegs, Dale, Doy, Amihan, Benits, Manny, Alice, Janet, Chito, me

sitting (l-r) Lito, Tony, Inday, Belle, Vee

picture courtesy of Alice Sibal Lim

Pope John XXIII

Yesterday, PDI - or the Philippine Daily Inquirer - featured the canonization of two popes. John the XXIII and John Paul II.

As a  comment in the newspaper, which i shall attempt to reproduce here, i said i also thouight of him as my favorite.  When I was in Grade school - at the College of the Holy Spirit, our Reading book was "Wide, Wide World" - which was the end of a series ... Vistas (a reddish colored book) for Grade 5?, and Cavalcades (an orange colored book) for grade 6.  By the way, San Beda College had the same series, so my male cousins Dodo and Milo Angkaw used the same books as I did

If memory serves, this is where i saw a short lit piece that had :"John and John" as the title. Anyway, in this short item it said that when Jackie Kennedy was newly bereaved from President JFK and was visiting the Pope,  the Pope forgot protocol, and opened his arms and said "Jackie", and hugged her.

I thought that too, was the measure of the man behind the Pope.

******

Drabacs - Director Cleofe M. Bacungan - passed away 20 April 2014

Drabacs said goodbye to this existence last Easter Sunday, the 20th of April 2014.  Her wake was held at the Bacungan Hall at the Philippine Science High School, Agham Road, Diliman Quezon City.  Interment was last Friday, 25 April 2014.

Her wish was that donations be made to the PSHS Foundation instead of flowers.  However, a group of us - Alice Sibal Lim, Amihan Abueva, Benita Padilla, Caesar Octavius Parlade (Boboy), Joey Dumandan, and me  :) - took the view that this gracious lady should have flowers and i was tasked to get the flowers for our batch - batch 75.  we figured that donations to the foundation can come at another time (and besides, we had other classmates) - and the rest of the donations could be for the donation.

The rest of the group - who were not able to go with us to the wake Monday 21 April also gave for the flowers - Dale Amor Villamor, Jerry Obaldo, Kay Uichanco. The rest of the batchmates donations, whoever will be giving, willl go to the foundation - i guess. they can do so directly.

i digress.



The history of the Philippine Science High School is entwined with the life and dreams of Drabacs.  Part of this history is documented in the book, "Romancing the Gifted".  The tenacity of Drabacs in the creation of the school can be gleaned from one picture - one of her and then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

A few of us - Sayans batch 75 have copies.  Every graduate should have one, and should read it.  Roselmo Doval-Santos, one of the wonderful writers of our batch wrote a piece in that book.  I dont know what in the world i was doing when all that was being done, but i should have volunteered to do or assist with the editorial work.

If the PSNAA is listening, they should either reissue an edited version of this or have something similar for the golden anniversary of the school.  IF they do so, i am volunteering to assist with the editorial and layouting or the work -

Many of our lives have been changed because of our high school life, and in so far as we can, we would like to pass it forward

PICTURES COURTESY OF THE LIMS

Fr. Ces

Kay and Doy

A wRite quote from Goodreads

If you have the words, there's always a chance that you'll find the way. 


Seamus Heaney
Irish poet and Nobel Prize-winner Seamus Heaney (born April 13, 1939) enjoys both critical acclaim and widespread popularity. By 2008, two-thirds of poetry books sold in the UK were by Heaney.

For me, there is something about the Irish .....they have pretty words

This Lent - something about Sin, from Goodreads

Sin ought to be something exquisite, my dear boy.

 

Émile Zola
French writer Emile Zola (born April 2, 1840) was friends with artists like Cezanne and Manet, who both made him the subject of paintings, but when he wrote a novel about the artists and their bohemian lifestyle, The Masterpiece, Cezanne broke off their friendship.

now, this makes me think.... what Sin is exquisite..... for me it seems to be over-eating.  Not much of a sinner these days.  Too lazy and the weather is too hot to encourage sin........

*laughs* 

Advanced Birthday Greetings to Horace T. Templo

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to YOU ......

***

Happy Birthday!

Sickness Maternity Benefit Update for Employers and the Employed

In January of this year, SSS has strictly implemented Circular No. 2012-008 regarding the payment of Sickness and Maternity benefits.  This circular mandates all employers to enroll in any SSS-accredited bank.

 If the employer is NOT enrolled in the program, any sickness and/or maternity benefits filed by their employees will be summarily rejected.  Employees have to refile their claims after their employers have enrolled in the program











SSS - ACCREDITED BANKS LISTED BELOW:

Sickness and Maternity Benefits Payment thru the Bank Program

List of accredited Banks: Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines Allied Banking Corporation Asia United Bank Corporation Banco De Oro Bank of Commerce Bank of the Philippine Islands Century Savings Bank China Banking Corporation CTBC Bank Corporation (Formerly Chinatrust Banking Corporation) Citystate Savings Bank, Inc Country Rural Bank of Taguig Inc. Eastwest Bank Land Bank of the Philippines Maybank Philippines Inc. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company Philippine Bank of Communications Philippine Business Bank Philippine National Bank Philippine Postal Savings Bank Philippine Savings Bank Philippine Veterans Bank RCBC Savings Bank, Inc. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Rural Bank of Pililia (Rizal) Inc. Security Bank and Trust Company Standard Chartered Bank Union Bank of the Philippines United Coconut Planters Bank