Florida

Just to let everyone that I am here in Florida for the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium to present my poster. Here is a picture of the poster session hall with the reception drinks in the forground.

will write more later.

a blast from the past

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have an amnesia and then all of sudden in one sweeping moment your memories came back? I experienced something similar last Saturday. It was my first official homecoming to my student organization UPAEMS (University of the Philippines Alliance of Economics and Management Students) now celebrating its 25th year. Old brods and sis called and sent sms. It all caught me by surprise in a way. Last Friday, they called me to come and attend the anniv. It was actually a blur at how fast things unfold. Just told my batchmate I need a ride and be back at home same day and that was it. I just went. Not even bothered to ask for all the other details. I only learned on the way how special it was because its the silver anniversary. At that time, I thought I made the right decision to go.

It was amazing to see old friends, batchmates and all those people that you thought "no longer existed" suddenly came to life again. It was 17 years ago when I joined this student organization. Each memory and image came back one at a time as I greet each one. It was eerie in a way. Something like Arnold Schwarzanegger's Total Recall.

A new morning

I felt that I want to give thanks for everything that is. We have weathered many storms in the past. We survived, we recovered. After every storm there is a calm. We keep on living. Every morning a promise of new hope.

Camiguin

Ang drama ng mga ulap ng umaga. Malayo ang tinatanaw niya. Nagiintay? Nagpapahinga...

This is my second visit to the Island of Camiguin. The first time I visited was circa 2004. At that time, I was not able to visit this wonderful stretch of white sand. This place is called White Island. Actually it is a huge winding sand bar similar to Snake Island in Honda Bay. It is about 5-10 minute boat ride from the shoreline. I was excited to explore this part and was up by 5am. Early morning is the best time to visit with still the soft morning sun to enjoy.

I love the first photo on top with the boy in the red shirt. It was really by chance that I caught him there. Eventually, I learned that he was a fisherman's son and they were resting from the early morning fishing. I have a complete series of them and maybe I will share in future post.

The sea was relatively calm that day. This was taken more than a week before the big storm hit the islands.

The Grand Palace

Unbelievable! I've never been to a palace this grand before. Just this trip I took over 800 pictures on a borrowed digi cam. Thanks so much El!

Tom Yum ala martilyo

What really got me excited was the authentic Thai food. Our first lunch there we were served with what else but my favorite! Tom Yum-- the real thing. I was really hungry and craving for some hot soup after the long hours travel over land and a short ferry ride on the ro-ro. Then there we were serve with the best. My first sip was with real gusto and then wham! it hit me like a martilyo on the tongue! That is why I called it ala martilyo (ala sledgehammer). But I love it nonetheless! Through out the meal we were saying "aww", aw, aw in short burst that our host can you believe it ordered a bland fried food for our delegation hahaha.

Message from a Chocolate

I am now eating Dove smooth milk chocolate with Almonds. Been enjoying this treat for a few days now. Its a "pasalubong" ( travel gift) from a friend who came home for a vacation to the Philippines.

When you open the golden foil wrapper, inside there is a message. Been wanting to share all the quotes that I've been getting lately but this one is the best. It came to me while I am blogging and have the honor to post first! i love it!

"Keep the promise you make to yourself"--Dove chocolates

Yes to that!

ps i wish i have a camera now so that I can post a picture. well you know the story.

monks at the Suvarnabhumi airport

I love their robes! Always been intrigued by their ways. I also love taking pictures of monks. This series is such a treasure because I caught them taking pictures of themselves hahaha. What is so interesting is that they are now high tech they have their laptops with them. The great recorders of history are not left behind by technology. Awesome!!!! I love them!

airports

During my last trip to Thailand. The first thing that struck me was the Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced as "Su-Wana-poom") Suvarnabhumi means "The Golden Land". The last time I was in Thailand was in 1995 and the airport they have back then was very similar to the NAIA. I was happily surprised that now they have something similar to Singapore less the orchids in the center. A big and better airport.

That brings me to our own airport. More than twenty years ago I distinctly remembered the time when we brought our Tita to the airport back then it was the MIA or Manila International Airport. She was going to migrate to the States. As you know the tradition is that the whole barangay of relatives are in tow to send off the relative who is migrating. I also remembered we had picture taking with everyone in front of the jeep that brought the whole clan. My cousins and I were climbing up and down the escalators. I still have that picture.

Then circa 2008 last month when I went to Thailand. Now called the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but nothing is different from more than 20 years ago. I felt sad for the condition of our airport every time. Recently I heard that the newly built terminal 3 has already these supposed cracks from an earthquake. Not even open yet and already broken. tsk tsk.

Oh well.

Same time 2 years ago

June 20th 2 years ago, we were expecting our baby to be born. That night, I had a bloody show and I was relieved that finally I was giving birth. But also afraid of the right of passage that I will go through at that time.

Tomorrow will be baby's 2nd birthday. We didnt plan for anything big like the 1st birthday. We will still have family and friends over at the house. I followed Ninang Susan's advise that blessings will come to the home that open its doors to people. We will be celebrating Isay's 2nd birthday this Saturday.

Really have nothing prepared yet. But we will have the classic pansit for long life and a nice cake and maybe a few balloons for the cousins and friends.

It has been a while

It has been more than a month since I blogged. I miss sharing my thoughts. I wanted to share the many things that are happening the past month. Yes, I am still going to share more about Thailand and then the workshop we had in Camiguin last week. Recently, a really good friend and her family was in town from the States with her two kids. M and I are been catching up a bit. Now I am preparing for a long trip to the US first week of July. I still need to prepare alot for that. Excited to share my adventure of how people have shown their generosity in helping me with this trip. I will write more on that later as well.

Well, that being said, I just wanted to have some time to ponder. Alone time with myself is priceless these days.

Also just wanted to add that Tatay is in Maguindanao. Haay, I will note here that I will share something really struck me about Mindanao and our people.

I will carve out the time for this blog. It helps me remember and enjoy the many small and great blessings that come my way each day.

My Elephant Encounter!!!

I just arrived from my Thailand trip. The post above is my happiest memory during my recent trip. It was truly off the charts wonderful experience. I love it!!! I was able to hug their massive trunks. The moment I was in their presence it was overwhelming. You can actually sense their palpable strength! My companions stayed a few meters away saying that they are afraid to be sucked in by their trunks. Here in the photo I am giving some sugarcane stalks.

The encounter with the elephants was just a short side trip to our official business in the Island of Mu Koh Chang approximately 500 kilometers south of Bangkok near the boarders of Cambodia. We visited the Mu Koh Chang Demonstration site of the UNEP GEF South China Sea project on their environment and conservation efforts in the island of Koh Chang.

I will be posting more about Thailand in the coming days.

X deals for a good deed

Last February, I received word that my post graduate thesis (actually referred to as Special Problem at UP) was accepted for presentation at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium this event will be for July 2008. This event takes place every 4 years where marine conservationist, researchers, students and practitioners gather together to share and learn the developments in coral reef conservation. Four years ago it was held at Okinawa, Japan. I've been so blessed that I was able to receive a grant from Packard in 2004 and was able to actively participate. The host this year will be Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. But this time I am unable to secure a grant from ISRS Intl Society of Reef Studies.

I am now actively searching for possible sponsors. I reached out to several organizations for support and still awaiting for their reply. But I am happy to share that as of today I am able to raise approximately 20% of my travel cost with a couple of confirmed pledges from sponsors! God bless you! You know who you are!

Learning from Aloy, Ala and others who creatively raised funds, I am now kindly asking for your help. I am open for X-deals for donations to support my travel in exchange for a good deed. It can be a research project that you may need help, a slide presentation for a wedding of a friend, deliver flowers to a loved one, something that can be done in a week or two, let me know what you need help on. Just as long as it is legal and is fair to all concerned :)

Lastly, if you know of any organization that provides travel grants and support specially for women of the 3rd world please let me know email me at day_flores@yahoo.com.

Abundance

"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him"--Matthew 13:12

Today, I think now I finally realized the essence of this verse. For the longest time in the back of my mind I was wondering "how can that be?" answer came to me today after a discourse of knowing oneself.

I've been immersing myself in the concept of abundance and I realized this has brought me to this moment. A great aha moment came this afternoon that recognizing abundance can only come from within and not without. I am also reminded that abundance is all around us. And again reminded to be grateful of many things in my life. Abundance is everywhere, the sun, the wind, the dog full of play around the corner while we are walking, the presence of my daughter, the space to create, and the list just goes on and on. Amazing. I am prompted to continue my gratitude journal. Actually this blog started with that idea. Most of the things and events that I write here brings me joy and inspires me. I rarely put anything that gives me anxiety. I realize it is my way of making it a gratitude journal without calling it one.

Now going back to the verse, it is clear to me now that it is only when we recognize the abundance in our lives that we are continually blessed of even more abundance. Thus, to those who have abundance will be given more. All this come from within. Acknowledging that you are already blessed, truly blessed that allows more abundance to flow into your life.

It has been weeks since I shared anything in this blog. But it doesn't mean that nothing eventful has happened. Many things to be thankful for has come to be. I want to share some highlights.

1) Baby and I together with Tatay was able to visit a friend Ria and her baby Maksil who is in Manila just before they went back to Kyoto. We spent an afternoon with friends. We swam in the small pool and baby Isay was able to play with Baby Maksil. It was the first time we met Baby Kylie of Mhel and Paul who just passed the bar.

2) There was one day when we went to a playground and for the first time Tatay and Nanay together with baby Isay played in a see-saw! Amazing! The last time I did this was when I was 8 years old in a playground in Laguna. We had a great time walking, spending the afternoon sliding down in the outdoor playground

3) Last Sunday, Isay for the first time played and run with her 2 cousins Jake and Kaila. Baby Isay doesn't mind that she is always the "taya". It was good to spend time with the family of Tatay A since we haven't seen them for a few months now.

4) Jollibee party of Baby Timothy that Baby Isay enjoyed together with cousins Jane and Julius. It was the first time she took on a huge slide on her own at the party place. I was so amazed that she was so brave to take on the challenge of the many older kids around her. I am one proud Nanay!!!

my first webclass

I just finished Oprah's A New Earth webclass. I've finished distance learning and already earned my master's degree in an Open University but this new experience enabled me to truly appreciate the technology we actually have now literally in our fingertips. I've been using Skype for work as I work from home office while I work with my colleagues within the Asia Pacific and sometimes in North America. But I am blown away seeing Oprah being amazed at the technology. Amazing.

What struck me most today is my learning and re-learning. This phrase is another "aha" moment.

"What you resist, persist" -Eckhart Tolle

It is similar to Robert Fulghum's lessons are repeated until they are learned. And also to Star trek's "resistance is futile".

We can only change something if we have already accepted it. We cannot struggle against anything that is already is and have come to be. We should accept it first before so as to create the space to make way for the change to occur.

One of the most recent experience that i had was when I lost my wallet. Isay and I went to the bank we rode a tricycle. I have my wallet in my hand where I keep my cards but it has no cash. Apparently it fell somewhere between the tryke and the ATM machine. We traced our steps but cannot find it. My mind was racing I kept thinking first it must be somewhere and the loss have not settled in. I went about reporting the loss of my cards and others. My mind was racing thinking of several things this and that what should i do. report it? where? Alot of things just passed through my mind. Unsettling thoughts. Until finally, in my mind I accepted that it was lost. But then while walking along, I prayed to God that hopefully someone will return. Anyway, I just let it go and thought "oh well, there goes the memories attached to the items there". My first ever 1999 scuba diver c-card, my driver's license, I don't worry too much about the bank cards because they are replaceable but the nostalgia of the Sagada wallet passed through my mind but after that i thought, well, another lesson learned. And I left it at that. I felt a certain finality within me that it was lost.

We ate ice cream then went home. Upon returning home our security guard informed us that someone came by to return the wallet. To make the long story short, I got everything back. But a powerful feeling came over me. I realized that only after I let it go and accepted it, that what was lost was found. Without me doing anything actively, it came back effortlessly.

Looking at it in another way, it was indeed, another answered prayer.

Hallelujah

When I watch this performance by Jason Castro (America Idol Season 7)
of Hallelujah it made me love the song. I discovered that it is actually an old song but I heard it for the first time. I was indeed moved.

It is like singing along with it from within but without actually singing. It felt like Easter. A new hope a new beginning. An affirmation of His goodness by making all things new.

The NOW

I've been reading and been discovering a lot the past weeks. I haven't written many of the events that happened because I felt right after experiencing them words cannot seem to contain the moment I found myself evolving experiencing them. I felt the the now is what matters. if I attempt to write about it, tapos na yun. Ewan. Yan thats what I mean it is not writers block but a new sense of awareness. I found that opening up myself has led me to sages.

I want to share with you this.

Celebrate Women's Month

This week there is an International Women's Film Festival at UP Diliman. Let us all celebrate Women's month.

I wrote an article about it at HerWord.com.

Changing weather

Earlier today, it was scorching hot and I thought it was a good day to do the laundry this afternoon. I loaded the washing machine and let it spin. Multi tasking as always, while I was surfing the net, I heard the pounding of the rain on the roof. A huge downpour I didn't expect. Well, as I was scrambling to get something at the back out from the rain, I realized I enjoy and welcome the refreshing rain. It did not really bother me at all that it rained while I was doing a week's load of laundry. Then, I am thankful that now I am able to just follow the flow of what is before me. It is such a light feeling and relaxing in a way when I realized that appreciating everything for what it is brings much joy. Simple joys.

I thank God for that.

Look with Love

Today, I realized that when I look at the cross, I don't just see a Jesus Christ that is suffering. Now, as I read Sacred Space, it made me realize that Jesus is looking at us with a look of love.

Maybe it is my aversion to pain and suffering that most often than not I do not look at a cross. But now with this realization, I can look at it with a new perspective. Even in suffering and dying at the cross He was looking at us with a look of love. Such great love.