Twelve Days of Christmas

This beloved Christmas carol was written by the English Jesuits of the 16th century as a catechetical device.  At that time, Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith openly. It was written to educate the faithful in the doctrines of the faith. The numbers are simply a mnemonic to help Catholics remember some basic facts:

1.     The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ on the cross.

2.     Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

3.     Three French hens were the three persons in one God.

4.     The four callings birds were the four Gospels.

5.     The five golden rings were first five books of the Old Testament.

6.     The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

7.     Seven swans a-swimming recalled the seven Sacraments.

8.     Eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes.

9.     Nine drummers drumming (now nine ladies dancing) were the nine choirs of angels.

10.   Ten lords a-leaping were the ten Commandments.

11.   The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful Apostles.

12.   Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

              “My true love” refers to God, “me” is the individual Christian receiving God’s love.

Reference: http://www.catholic.net/index.php?id=3465&option=dedestaca

There are no boundaries...

I am writing today from the 33rd floor of a cyberzone building, in a room with white walls. I feel liberated but I also feel alone. Outside the glass windows, I can see the classic Manila traffic on a payday Friday. Everyone is on the road craving for home or friends after a week of hard work.

I just made my very first online purchase, buying a book for a friend miles away to send as a gift for her birthday. I don't know if this is considered a cliche now, but the power of technology is truly amazing. I know I've been a bit slow in adapting to it, having just recently activated my paypal account. I am still a bit traditional, and I like browsing through bookstores and looking around to find the perfect gift for someone. But I am now trying new things, like buying online stuff, which I know is very normal to most in the developed world. I find online transactions very convenient  but  sometimes its simplicity scares me. It can't be that easy, can it?  It is indeed the role of technology to make things simpler, more convenient so we can do more things.

But more things of what, I wonder? I've seen two people in cafe's before, friends whose attention are fixed on their laptop screens, occasionally distracted by the beeps on their mobile phones. Ears covered in  earplugs.Where has the conversation gone?  Maybe at times,  presence is enough. Just knowing there is someone there with you is comfortable while you explore the world wide web... a little bit funny though when there is an actual person just seating across, who you can talk to. In a way technology can be self-consuming, in other times mind-expanding, depending on the way one uses it, I guess.

Technology is only a tool. It can be used well or used badly. One good use of it that I have discovered recently is e-publishing. Technology has opened the doors for authors who had no access to opportunities before in the traditional publishing world. It  has leveled the playing field and cast a deeper net to discovering new gems in the literary world.

I learned this week that Borders in the US has filed for bankruptcy while Barnes and Nobles is being sold, because purchase of paperbacks are declining drastically, assisted by the increased sales of tablets overtaking laptops and PCs, over 50 million pieces sold in the early part of 2011 alone. E-books are outselling printed ones in Amazon 3:1.

I feel sad at the impending demise of print though, I love my paperbacks! Do you think someday we will find books in museums instead of libraries? Although, bookworms will definitely find it hard to let go of the touch of paper, a friend says that the electronic versions can and will save so many trees. Caring for the environment is indeed an utmost priority.

It is in this way, that technology is best used. Sometimes though it is kind of scary how dependent we have become on technology. Children as young as 2 yrs old can already open an iPad and type on computers. They might be deprived of the joy and wonder of exploring the real, physical world, of discovering things with their own touch and vision... There should be some sense of balance somewhere.

What happens when things break down, where do we go? What about things done by hand; will we one day look at them as part of ancient history, to be admired as a heritage from a distant past but no longer part of life. What will the future look like? I know there will be no boundaries. I believe that it will be a borderless world.  But I do hope that technology will foster understanding among countries,  serve as a bridge, a common ground that brings people together like the social networking sites. I wish for technology that not just connects people but makes people work together to build a better world.

There goes the dreamer. I am tired now and ready to go home. Why didn't I just work remotely? haha. Ah, because I wanted to be with people. I believe technology is just a tool. For it to fulfill its purpose, people must do their part. At the end of the day, it's the people not the technology that counts.

Lesson today: People over things.

Listening to: "There are No Boundaries" by Kris Allen

A Maiden Voyage

The whole world celebrated Earth Day last April 22. I was very fortunate to celebrate it in my own little way two weeks before when we were blessed to plant seedlings in the soil and mangroves of Bantayan Island in Cebu province, as part of Gawad Kalinga's week-long Bayani Challenge activities this April.

Seemingly ordinary days turn to out to be special ones. I still remember vividly those days spent planting under the very warm sun and how one afternoon led us to an eco-friendly area in Bantayan which I never knew existed.

An encounter that deeply rooted my love for mother Earth began with meeting the no-holds barred environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa whose house we visited.

His home turned School of the SEAs (an acronym which stands for Sea and Earth Advocates) is an Experiential Learning Center which holds environment classes by the sea.

Before beginning the tour of  his school,  Atty. Oposa asked us to spend 5 minutes looking at the body of water in front of his house, which was simply breathtaking. Seeing only the surface, one wonders more about the beauty it holds underneath since it has been cared for as a marine sanctuary.

The five minute silence offered to the sea reminded me of the phrase in one of my favorite songs, "I hope you dance" by LeeAnn Womack.

"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean," she sings.

It is always awe inspiring to watch the sea, to observe its ebb and flow, and check out the many wonders it holds in its bossom. I felt blessed to realize that such beauty was free for us to enjoy if we take the time in our hurried world to go back to the countryside and smell the ocean breeze.  Sadly, we have neglected nature's beauty and some have abused it, which may mean that future generations will no longer be able to enjoy what we have now.

Still, it's never to late to prevent that from happening. We need to take time to enjoy true beauty and in becoming inspired, act responsibly to preserve it for others so that they can experience what we have been privileged to experience.

Another AHA moment for me was realizing the truth of Atty. Oposa's words when he says, we learn by Example and Experience.

I remember one precious moment during the GK Bayani Challenge when we were doing a coastal cleanup along the shores of one town. My companions and I were walking along the shore line, picking up rubbish on the way.

Families were there watching us from a distance. Then suddenly their children came one by one. And as one kid picked a piece of trash, the rest of the children were pushing him to give it to my friends who were standing by with an open sack.

Like a scene from a movie, the child finds the courage to put it into the sack and when he finally did it, all the kids suddenly and simultaneously started picking up the trash! Children do learn by example and us from experience.

Meantime, back at the School of the Seas which Atty. Oposa built from local materials, we discovered the power of renewable energy. The house's electricity is supplied by the sun and the wind. At night, the whole area becomes dark and electricity is used minimally so as to conserve energy and to let nature take its natural course.  Amidst the darkness, you could see the stars shining brightly in all its grandeur. Oh, what a sight!

The good lawyer also showed us how his house recycles water from bathing to flushing.  I realized then how used we have been to flushing water without giving it a second thought, we forget that it is actually precious fresh water that we are using.  A Filipino inventor once said that water will be the next scarce resource we will face if we don't take care of it. Perhaps, we can think twice about flushing fresh water until it's absolutely necessary to do so or better yet use recycled water if we can.

But what truly opened my mind was the definition of Atty. Oposa of the Environment as a Life Source, or life-giving sources. He compared the human body to the environment and it struck me how true it was. Rivers and oceans are very much like our blood, water runs through us since we are mostly composed of water. Our lungs are like the trees that breathe in air and provide oxygen that help us live. The soil of the earth is like our skin that covers our bodies. The environment is not just a place we live in, it gives us life.

When we do not care for them, we risk our own death. Think about that for a moment.

I've also discovered through Atty. Oposa that in the Philippines, 4 out of 10 people who reside along the coastlines live below the poverty line, which is approximately 22 million Filipinos.

With the global climate change and rising water levels, their lives are placed more and more in danger. Also their source of livelihood, fishing, is threatened, which also results from the use of destructive fishing methods that destroys corals and disrupts the ecosystem.

It is most unfortunate because our waters is one of the richest on earth. There are 500 to 700 coral species in the world and the Philippines has 488, more than those found in the Carribean Sea and the Great Barrier Reef.

The Indo-Malay-Philippine Archipelago has long been considered the area of highest marine biodiversity in a study made by renowned scientists Kent E. Carpenter and Victor G. Springer of the World Conservation Union and the US National Museum Smithsonian Institution.

They discovered that the Philippines is at the center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity.

Atty. Oposa's advocacy is to restore and save the Philippine seas which is the wealth of our people. This May will be the maiden voyage of the sailing ship docked at the School of the SEAs which will help restore coral reefs in the Visayan seas starting with Bantayan Island.

Atty. Oposa hopes to transform sailboats into informal classrooms which will go around several islands to teach the youth on how to protect the marine environment.

Restoration begins with coral planting and there will be scuba diving operations for volunteer divers who will work with local fishermen to set up marine protected areas and restore coral reefs.

Let us support this noble quest and hope many more will be able to join the journey of healing Mother Earth and caring for our environment. Leaving you now with Atty. Oposa's favorite quote:

"Let it be said that during our watch...while gifted with intelligence and insight, with privilege and position, with the wealth of wisdom, and with the freedom and power of the human will. Let it be said that in our time, and during our watch, we did our share. And maybe, just maybe...we will make a little difference."

May God bless the School of the Seas' journey. Her maiden voyage begins on May 2 at Bantayan Island, Cebu.

A Lesson from the Snows

Have I told you about the snow gum tree?

The lovely tree sheds its bark in the winter because the bark dries up. It peels off its flesh to reveal layers of green, red, and beige within.

I always believed nature has much to teach us.

We can adapt to anything like the lovely snow gum tree. Shedding the old to reveal the new. Unfolding the many aspects of ourselves. While we try to adapt to our environment, we must not lose our identity. Our core remains the same.

The snow gum is still a snow gum tree whether it grows or shrinks. But why shrink when you were meant to grow.  It remains dependent on its roots for nourishment. The taller it grows, the deeper its roots go. I was told that the height of the tree is proportional to the depth of its roots.

Roots for me include prayer, family and friends and all the gifts we have been blessed with.

Wherever we go we can adapt but still remain who we are when our roots are deep.

May we grow more this year and bear fruits that will nourish, as our roots dig deeper.

Lovely Snow Gum

Reel Life

Last weekend was spent watching movies for some quiet time that left me renewed in spirit.

I was hesitant to watch Invictus at first but I'm glad I did for  it exceeded my expectations.  It spoke to the very heart of me, about love of country and the need for inspiration and heroes for our generation.

I was reminded of my own motherland, needing to be liberated from the things that are holding it back - poverty and corruption. South Africa's Nelson Mandela, the main character being portrayed, reminded me so much of Ninoy Aquino, a Filipino hero who died for his country 27 years ago, seeking freedom for his people who were oppressed by a dictator.

Both Mandela and Aquino espoused non-violent change, following the inspiration of India's Mahatma Gandhi and America's Martin Luther King. All great men they were. Men who had integrity and faith, and a deep love for their country.

What can unite a country? What can bring it inspiration? Perhaps, through something as neutral as sports, where dreams and aspirations are played out, or through the universal language of music and art. I was quite amazed at how South Africa's Springboks rugby team can unite a nation wounded by apartheid, just like how the Philippine's Manny Pacquiao can bring Filipinos together wherever they are in the world whenever he steps into a boxing ring.

I believe change is possible without blood being spilled. That spirit of non-violent transformation was felt during the 1986 People Power, now finding its concrete expression on the ground through Gawad Kalinga, which seeks to bring change in the grassroots through the simple but profound means of caring and sharing. Some dreams bear fruit in time.

After Invictus, I was inspired to watch Crossing Over , a story about the many desperate ways  illegal immigrants employ in order to stay in the land of milk and honey and how it would often rob them of dignity and cause them unnecessary pain. The story reminded me how blessed I was to be living in my own country, a first-class citizen, with opportunities that abound in a developing economy.

It also reminded me of the many poor people in our land who live in the slums, deprived of human basic needs, feeling that they are second-class citizens in their own motherland. I share the dream of seeing them restored in dignity and helping them realize that they are a first-class race with the blood of noble heroes running through their veins. I believe it would happen in my lifetime, with God's grace.

I ended the movie marathon with What Dreams may Come, a surreal but beautiful depiction of what happens in the after life. Reminds me also of the of the often hard certainty that we all will die sooner or later. This is a cliche but it is true, love is one of the few things that endures to eternity.

What struck me about this movie is its portrayal of the gates of hell with broken, sinking ships. Ships that  never reached their destination. 

I've always likened life's journey to a ship traveling in the vast wide ocean. Our destination is heaven, our home is a journey towards God. A lot of people live their lives like there is no deadline, like there is no end. I am scared to live my life with regrets. I reckon that to love someone in any way each day is to live each day to the fullest.

Placing importance on making beautiful moments and cherishing experiences over the pursuit of material things which are only tools you use in the pursuit of happiness but not the source of it, puts things in perspective.

I particularly like Max Lucado's metaphor on life being a cruise in a big ship:  Explore the amenities, appreciate the surroundings, make good friends along the way, but be ready to get off when you arrive at your destination. Do not be too attached to things that you can't keep moving forward.

While in your journey, savor every experience, learn from them, never give up,  grow,  share, love. When the end credits comes, we would have made a beautiful ending to our real life.. Would it be a story of inspiration or one of regret? The choice is ours to make every day, reflected in the way we live our lives.

Invictus

by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul. 


May our lives reach its destination.

Hello, Citizen of the World

Most countries are best known globally by the character traits of their people. The following are the traits and values I admire most. Please note that these are the countries I'm only familiar with or whose citizens I have come across. And also I believe there are lots of things a country can be known for. I hope you can add more, would love to hear it. So far, this is what I've observed, national traits that I love the most:

British diplomacy and wit
Australian spirit of adventure and friendliness (sense of mate-ship)
Japanese industry and discipline
Chinese excellent business sense and thriftiness
The French's good taste
Italian passion and craftsmanship
Kiwi good-naturedness and gentleness
The Greek sense of family
Irish luck (hehe),love their music!
Swiss precision
Brazilian beauty
Indonesian artistry
American bravery


And of course, unabashedly biased :) the Filipino creativity/ingenuity, great faith and sense of community.

What is yours? What describes your country and your people?

The Art of Living

Last week was spent studying painting under maestro Tito Joey Velasco whose freshly painted masterpiece is shown above. Amazingly, I learned more than sketching and got a crash course on the art of living.

I've been reflecting on the certainty of death since last Tuesday when I tagged along Tito Joey to visit his friend's dad who was dying. Since I didn't know anyone, I quietly waited and witnessed the family waiting for their father to breathe in his last. I noticed that when a person is dying his breathing is farther-in-between, takes longer, is much deeper and more deliberate. It is so far from how we normally breathe as we inhale and exhale without even thinking. At about 6 in the morning, Tatay Poly inhaled his last.

A big lesson I'm taking home is learning how to breathe deeply, sucking the marrow out of life. Ah, breath of life. The free gift we normally take for granted.

A lot of things come to mind after this night: the movie Bucket List where 2 cancer patients make a list of the things they want to do in life given their limited amount of time. Tito Joey's realization of the freedom and courage that the certainty of dying gives for one to do the things he wants without fearing what other people would say. After all, there is nothing left to lose only regret. This wise advice coming from a survivor of a terminal disease himself. And recently, I am reminded of Bo Sanchez's advice to Live like a Dying Man. I agree with him when he says, that "You don't need to have cancer to change your life."

Life is short, my friends. Unless we accept this truth, we can never really truly live because we will have the tendency to take time for granted as if our days are without end. I am equally guilty of squandering time as I love to sleep a lot, too much, that I miss on some wonderful awakenings.

"Time is a slippery thing," Tito Joey said. "A lot of people go through life half-awake." I was jolted from my sleepiness.

Tito Joey shared that, "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important realization I've ever had to help trigger God's gifts. Because all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. There is no reason anymore not to follow your heart."

He counsels, quoting Steve Jobs who said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

I realized that anything is possible in this life. It's really up to us if we want to create a masterpiece out of our lives. Beginning today, I choose to breathe more deeply and start living life with zest.

On a final note, seated there at Tatay Poly's death bed, I saw what was truly important. He was surrounded by family and friends whispering loving words to him. He even managed to teach a total stranger (me) without saying anything. Such is the kindness of his life.

This must be the art of living: For death to have meaning, our lives must have meant something. And that something is all about love...

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Here's to seizing the day. I managed to check one of the "things to do" on my bucket list. Ah the smell of fresh paint! I love it. Here are my very amateur paintings. The first one, I copied a picture from an American artist, the original is sooo much better. But I love how the French define amateur to mean "lover of". Amateur, from the Latin amatorem "lover," and from amare "to love." If this is the case, then let us live life like amateurs, with passion and zest! :) Trying is better than regretting. Trying is everything. In this spirit, I humbly share with you my very first paintings.

Happy Mid-Year!

Wow, time does fly very fast! It's been a very eventful first half of the year. I hope the best is yet to come! Just wanted to share 3 video-discoveries I've loved for the past few months. They've helped me get through the rough patches of life. Also, I've just recently learned how to embed youtube videos on blog, hence this. hehe. My apologies :) More serious stuff on my next post. In the meantime, enjoy life. Live long and prosper! :) Happy Belated Summer (US/UK), Winter (Aus/NZ) Solstice last June 21!


1. Little Wonders by Rob Thomas



2. Running by Evermore (New Zealand)



3. Planets bend between us by Snow Patrol (UK/Ireland)

How many times do you find the right one?

"Once."

This is the tagline of the Irish movie of the same title, about a musician and an immigrant who meet and fall in love while making music together. A brief encounter that changes their lives.

One of the beautiful songs sang within this masterpiece is "Falling Slowly" from Glen Hansard's solo album "The Swell Season." The song won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2007.

Ah, I've always loved Ireland in my mind. I guess, it's their mystery and natural beauty that compels me to want to visit the land someday. The country's music from its instrumental bagpipes to its rock bands are always thoughtful and awesome. Take U2, the Corrs, the Frames, Snow Patrol and Ronan Keating. Their music has rock n' soul.

"Falling Slowly," is another one of those haunting melodies with awesome lyrics that can easily move. A very nice rendition was sang recently by Kris Allen of the American Idol, top 7. It's simply beautiful.

I don't know you
but I want you
all the more for that
Words fall through me
always fool me
and I can't react

Games that never amount
to more than they're meant
will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice
You have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
and I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
and I'll paint it black

Well, you have suffered enough
and warred with yourself
It's time that you won
Take this sinking boat
and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice
You have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly
sing your melody
I'll sing along...

I've played the chorus too late
Now you're gone...

By Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

The Pursuit of Clarity

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to two ophthalmologists who made me see things clearly... I was amazed to know from them that the errors of refraction (*technically, the bending of light) in the eyes is not caused by external circumstances but results from the physical development of the eyes. When eyes do not form as it should, the eyes will not bend light correctly resulting in a blurred image.

Common errors of refractions usually called farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism is dependent on the structure of the eyes. It means watching television or too much time in the computer will not cause one to become farsighted or nearsighted or cause an increase the grade of your eyes or have astigmatism. Astigmatism, for instance, results from a cornea that formed like a "football" and not "basketball-shaped" as normal eyes should be.

Kids, because they are still growing, will tend to be farsighted (able to see things clearly at a distance but unable to focus clearly on near objects) since their eyeballs are small and light entering the eye focuses behind the retina instead of directly on it. But as they grow up, their eyes elongates, and usually most kids outgrow farsightedness...It is best, though, to take your kids to an eye specialist before reaching 7 years old when the eye is still developing as many eye disorders are still reversible up to this age. Eye glasses serve to correct errors of refraction, to help one see clearly. They act as a tool like a cane to the elderly. You remove the cane or the glasses, and you cannot see or walk properly.

I don't really have a point, I just wanted to clarify things to my self :) I know, nerd-attack.

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