What would you do if you were Bruce?

We had a good discussion about Bruce Almighty. It just brings to perspective that when God allows you to have all the power in the world, what would you do? You have power over everything except for one thing. Can you remember what it was? hehehe

Everytime I remember this movie it makes me smile that God indeed has a sense of humor.

3 months na si Isay 30 naman si Tatay

Piliin kung alin.

Godspeed AG

This is to send off our very good friend AG Sano to his "sailing" adventure. All I can do last night was to send him an sms just before his flight at 10:30pm with safe travel and reassurance that we will always be here for him. I want to honor this friend of ours who was there for us when we really needed help. Godspeed AG. Bring us back stories of great places and exotic cultures you will discover in this new journey. Send our regards to Captain Jack!

Whoopsie doo my blog turns 2

In a few minutes my blog will be exactly two years old. It was Sept 21st 2004 when I started er discovered the joys and woes of blogging. It has been a great 2 years but still in my toddler years as a writer. I hope someday when I get to practice more I will be a better writer for there is no other lesson how to learn to write but just write and write like what Judith Juntilla says to me when I told her I want to be a good writer. And of course to learn good writing is to read good writers thats why I have my blog roll of friends(wink!)

Last year to celebrate I had this mini-contest of sort with 3 participants who all won prizes (yehey!) but this year I don't know how to celebrate. Well lets celebrate for a week or two until the month ends. You can email me your suggestions :O)

si Hinata

Ay ang dami ko dapat isulat. Ilan sa mga kailangan sa lalong madaling panahon ay mga technical writing na kailangan talaga mag sunog ng kilay. Dahil sa kababasa ko lang sa mga true stories ng mga taong nanalo sa Palanca Awards, na-inspire ako na sumulat ng sumulat. Basta sumulat lang dito sa blog. Sobra lang akong natuwa sa kanilang mga kwento kung papano nila nilikha ang kanilang mga "award winning" na mga katha.

May isa nga sa kanila na si Andrada na tinanong kung ano nararamdaman nya sa pagkapanalo nya. Natuwa ako sa sagot nya, "tulad ng nararamdaman ni Hinata kapag nakikita nya si Naruto." Kakatuwa na lubog din sila sa pop culture, malalim mag-isip sa kanilang mga alegorya pero nakaka relate sa mga anime.


Sa mga nakakakilala sa amin ni Amats alam nila na fan kami ni Hinata at Naruto hehehe minsan nga noong wala pang pangalan si Isay nang tinanong ako ni Ian ano pangalan ni baby at biniro ko na Hinata. Bilib kasi ako sa karakter nito.

Isa lang si Hinata sa madaming anime characters. Syempre andyan ang mga Hayao Miyazaki na si Princess Mononoke at Nausicaä (pero sa ibang pagakakataon ko na sila isusulat).

Tama nga si Torres Yu, ang pag journal ay gamot sa pagkati ng mga daliri at isipan. Hindi ka mapakali hangga't hindi mo nasusulat.

Moms

Recently I've been watching "Moms" on Qtv 11. The time slot is good because it is at the end of the day. I find myself really watching specially when the discussion of the talk show is about the many complex issues and challenges of being a mom. I guess I find myself looking for answers in books, through fellow moms and the like because all of my Nanay figures and role models that I look up to regarding motherhood in my immediate family have gone to heaven. I was moved by the experience of the mothers who bared their souls and shared their stories.

I realized that God sent the answers to some of my innermost self-questions of motherhood through the sharings of these moms. I was amazed that my own (for my own time pondering) questions were being answered. My sense of inadequacy for my little one slowly disappear as I learn that many moms are going through the same similar struggles emotionally and physically.

These are some of the messages of the moms to their children:

"Pray. Take risk. Don't be afraid to take risk and make mistakes because we learn a lot by making mistakes"--Lisa Macuja-Elizalde

"Be the best that you can be in life, by doing so, you will not only honor your parents but you will also honor God"--Tetchie Agbayani

While reading the week-old newspaper last Sunday, I stumbled upon the stories about the winners of the 56th Palanca Awards. I found this qoute in an article about Rosario Torres Yu sharing that her panganay cried when she read the essay that she wrote that won the Palanca Award "Batang Tundo".
"Tama nga si Lualhati Bautista, hindi nga nakakapagpakilala ang mga ina sa kanilang mga anak"

Naisipan ko rin na magsulat para balang araw ay makapagpakilala naman ako sa aking anak sa pamamagitan ng pagsulat.

At the UPLB Forestry

Today I traveled 7 hours back and forth to UPLB for an important meeting which lasted only an hour. It breaks my heart every time I leave my little baby behind. But today, I told myself that it would only be for a few hours and I'll be back.

The long bus ride left me with a nausea and a throbbing headache all the while thinking why I have to do this thing. Then I am back there again in LB, as always going back to the campus and seeing the old familiar campus is a trip down memory lane. Almost everything reminds me of something whenever I come back to UPLB. This morning, I realized I miss the mountain air and the trees--- those wonderful, tall and gracious trees. While I was standing waiting for the jeep at the upper campus outside the Forest Science Building, I caught myself yearning to stay longer and be with the trees. I was a bit sad that I can't stay long. It was a reminder why I was led to where I am now, why I am into conservation work and why I love being in the mountains.

I can't wait till we can bring Isay up the mountains.

Mamangka sa luha

In the past month, particularly in the recent weeks, the walls of our small abode has been witness to the flow of tears that some close friends shed. There was one particular morning, a good thing that the three of us are already awake, there was a knock on our door and a very dear friend speechless, shaking, shamelessly shed his tears. My hands were shaking as well as I prepared toast and tea for Amats and our dear friend. It was a different experience to share and actually feel a broken heart.

Amats and I have been a witness and listened in at least three different occasions among very different individual friends ( 3 very different individuals from different circle of friends) who are going through heart aches or recovering from one.

Para din lang kasing mabibiyak ang puso ko pag nakakaranas kami ng mga lumuluha na kaibigan lalo na kung ang "image" nila sa akin ay matitipunong mga lalaki. Nakapagtataka rin lang na karamihan sa kanila ay lalaki at hindi ang mga dalaga namin kaibigan.

Para sa iyo kaibigan. Mahal ka namin. Matagal ko inisip bago ko ito isulat dito pero makaraan ang ilang linggo hindi kasi maalis sa isip ko kaya minarapat ko na na isulat dito.

Nakapagtataka
(J. Paredes)

Walang tigil ang gulo sa aking
pag-iisip
Mula nang tayo'y nagpasyang
maghiwalay
Nagpaalam pagkat hindi tayobagay
Nakapagtataka,oh.


Kung bakit ganito ang a-king
kapalaran
Di ba't ilang ulit ka nang
nagpaalam
At bawat paalam ay puno ng iyakan
Nakapagtataka, nakapagtataka

Chorus:
Hindi ka ba napapagod,
o di kaya'y nagsasawa
Sa ating mga tampuhang
walang hanggang katapusan
Napahid na ang mga luha,
damdamin at puso'y tigang
Wala nang maibubuga,
wala na 'kong maramdaman.

Bridge:
Kung tunay tayong
nagmamahalan
Ba't di tayo magkasunduan
Oh, oh.

Walang tigil ang ulan
at nasaan ka, araw
Napano na'ng pag-ibig sa isa't
isa
Wala na bang nananatiling pag-asa
Nakapagtataka, saan ka napunta?

Hindi ka ba napapagod,
o di kaya'y nagsasawa
Sa ating mga tampuhang
walang hanggang katapusan

Napahid na ang mga luha,
damdamin at puso'y tigang
Wala nang maibubuga,
wala na 'kong maramdaman.oohh

Napahid na ang mga luha,
damdamin at puso'y tigang
Wala nang maibubuga,
wala na 'kong maramdaman.

Kung tunay tayong
nagmamahalan
Ba't di tayo magkasunduan
Oh, oh.