Atang

Blog 218:

 

Lola Atang
Constant, dignified, resilient
Hard at work and sacrifice describe her
Her life’s a testimony of unconditional love
Grandmother

Happy Birthday, Lola!
We miss you terribly ...

 

Dance Begins!

Blog 217:

Early morn …
Fog hovers and envelops
As far away as the eyes could see-
But soon … dancing rays shuffle, crawl and creep
Through the quietly sleeping woods-
 
Light pierces faintly …
Then swiftly it sweeps
And edges away its energy
Until all its wispy thin, and soft brightness explodes

Throughout the floor and horizon-

It seemingly whispers,
“Wake up …
Straighten your bodies …
Lift your arms …
And proudly hold up your crown!
Catch the rays of my energy
And let the nourishment of the day

Flow from your hands and feet.”

Mid-morn …

The forest dance begins!

Explore!

Blog 216:

Dream …

Project what’s out there

In your near future’s path …

Bathe in possibilities of growth

Or the titillating excitement of something practical,

Yet enjoyable for anyone wanting to transform self!

Make it a viable concept

Construct a place for minds to come together

In excitement …

In delight …

In exhilaration …

Make it promising for time and space

To intertwine and cross …

Make it thinkable … probable and crafty

For people young or old

To find reason for common potential

To explode!

No, You Can't ...

Blog 215:

“You can’t hurt me anymore!”

I’ve held on to God’s promises
That He will always be with me.
 
He did say, “I’m crying with you!”
He did pronounce, “I’m suffering with you!”
He declared, “On the way …
At Calvary’s Cross ...
I’m taking your pain and tears!”

He cried out and touched my heart
He took the insults and pain you inflicted on me …
 
He uttered, “Father, forgive THEM …”
He spoke of THEM and ‘YOU’ … especially
He whispered, “For they know not -
What it is they do
To my children …”

He asked Almighty God for forgiveness of your sins
For breaking me apart inside and out
For not guarding my innocence
For abusing me emotionally and physically
For using my energy and resources
For selfishly choosing your ‘spawned begotten’ over me!

I pity you … 
Out of your adulterous, shameful liaison
Came ruins of your very being!

No … you can’t hurt me anymore …

I belong to the One true Savior and Almighty
The Alpha and Omega!

Bumper2Bumper

Blog 214:

ZZZZZzzzzzziiing … Zooooommmmm

Repetitive track circling

Of cars that go round and round

Until speed builds up and gets each one up close

Bumper –to- bumper … they race for adrenalin rush

Bumper –to- bumper … they covet for the cup

Bumper –to- bumper … they vie for stardom

Until a sudden, mistaken tap to the pedal

Or unintentional left and right swing of the steering wheel

Brings a spark … a snap … a drag …

Of the competitor in front or behind-

The engine equipment race breaks away

Racers’ prides blow up

Survivors line up again

And soon as the green flag signals, “Go!”

The race for the checkered flag resumes

Until miles are covered

And a victor is found

At a NASCAR duel!

Showers

Senseless pouring …

First, a thin, white powder dusting falls on the terrain

Afterwards, seemingly non-stop icy drops of rain shower

Then, thick, puffy precipitation falls and sticks on everything it finds

“Stop now!” I say, “Stop!”

As if my command has any hold on its journey from the skies to Earth

I pause … I watch … I wait …

Until all manna from heaven pour a feeding as it pleases

To the thirsty land and quenching world!

Loving offering!

Thermometer

Temp Gauge

Hot … cold … so-so

Fluctuating, rising and falling

It is as changeable as the weather

Thermometer

 

Internal Weather

Serenely calm

Horrendously explosive

Nonchalantly involved

Anything or anyone triggers it to go up, down, and in-between

I lose my cool over anything that bars me from obtaining a want

I trample and grouch at everything that rubs me the wrong way

I project my anger on objects that have nothing to do with their being

Emotion

Stream of Consciousness (15)

Blog 211:

7:15 … What triggers annoyance? 

     I wondered early this morning about a psychological explanation to someone’s frustration, but could just not pinpoint an answer quite easily.   When that happens, especially to someone with whom you live with, the situation is just doubled.  It happens all the time.  Someone grudges over something, and the entire household is put on check to either aggravate or pacify it.  Annoyance is definitely NOT anything that anyone invites to linger.

8:50 … ‘Goal projections lately, anyone?

     I’ve been stymied lately regarding a dream-project.  The feeling is both unkind and energy-hindering.  I had dreamed of getting started soon with a benevolent project that might also bring profits … materially, that is … but resources at the moment are odds.  Projections are that I must wait two to five more years to get it launched.  I just could not accept the reality these days.  How do I go about redirecting energies toward its fruition?  Perhaps, lowering expectations is a first step, followed by fact-finding and consulting others in the know.  The negative energies must go away if I or anyone else hopes to get forward-moving!

10:48 … ‘Seen images of God around?

     My recent travel to Asia overwhelmed me in good and no-so-good ways.  From people to places, from personal and vicarious encounters, God’s images abound, and continue to be reflected while we go about our daily lives:  an aging mother tends to an older son who worked graveyard shifts in hopes of getting both his daughter through college,  and his ‘challenged/special son’  into a vocational trade;  a couple dedicate their life to reaching, and building up lives of children with disabilities; a woman cut short of her income-generating years, finds contentment through embroidery projects that she gives as gifts or sells to make meager resources; a young family gets beyond ‘economic survival mode’ after re-arranging its financial spending and addressing debt reduction; an immigrant takes grueling hours to learn the language of her not-so-new environment anymore, but one that continuous to challenge her existence due language barriers; countries, still in the developing stages after many years of independence from their colonizers, dig out from their day-to-day challenges of economic boost, social ill eradication, educational growth …

     God’s work continues despite our combined misuse of resources, apathy, irresponsibility and selfishness!

"Kasiyahan"

Blog 210:

“Kasiyahan”

Every joyous occasion brings a titillating elation

From miniscule to gargantuan encounters:

Celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a couple’s coming together

Rejoice over an accomplished dream

Give thanks for renewed strength over long illness

Express joy for safe passage from a tumultuous travel

Cheer passing exams, ordeals, treacherous challenges

Delight even a Mother’s painful, yet victorious birthing of a child

Exult achieving something long-yearned for

Be intentionally glad for a community-spirited gathering

Revelry

Fatigue

Blog 209:

Aftermath ...

Discoveries, adventures, excitement
They strike, reverberate, and then dissipate
What’s left at conclusion is a weary mind … body …
What’s at the end of each beginning is exhaustion ad nauseum
Memorable or not, going to and from every travel of sort

Delivers Fatigue!

Travel

Blog 208:

To and Fro

Go there!

Go everywhere you desire and more!

Go where you must!

Travel takes you near and far

To destinations known and unknown

Each setting brings a discovery

Or a purpose met … completed

Travel lets you see new spots you dreamt about

Or heard of and thought you only could learn whereabouts

From print, by mouth, by some unfamiliar discourse

Until you take it on and put yourself in the very locale

What do you find?

What do you gain?

All the feelings from disappointment and shock

All the feelings from worthwhile first encounters

All the experiences good and bad you bask under and soak in

It takes you anywhere, everywhere …

Travel!

Shih-tzu Duo

Blog 207:

Companions

Hairy, rambunctious, playful

Without a doubt, they will seek attention

At the slightest invitation, they cling or lick with thanksgiving

Shih-tzu Duo: Dink and Cinn

Pandanus

Blog 206:

Shady Bush

Pointy ends, razor-like sides, graceful spread

Its extended trunk invites me to spread out my tired back

When its juice and leaf are extracted, it gives a splendid aroma

Pandanus

Carabao

Blog 205:

Beast of Burden?

Unassumming, Tame, Hardworking

Down the fields, it toils without complaint

It doesn’t mind children or adults’ weight on its back

Carabao-Carribou-Water Buffalo

Zip___

Blog 204:

Palawan Isle Adventure

Cables, Breadth, Speed

It is daunting, yet exhilarating!

Taking it on would give me the adrenalin rush I crave.

Zip-line … Arawan Eco Park: 2/12/13

Love Is ...

Blog 203:

 

Love …

Softly it comes

Steadily it builds up

Until one is wrapped-up

And lost in its wonders …

 

Enduring love …

None of it comes in a bottle

Ready for pouring

Or consumption

For love to breathe life consistently

It requires pruning

It entails nurturing

It involves patience

It commands desire

It compels a rhythmic dance …

 

My love is like laughter

It is contagiously ticklish …

My love is like mother

Whose bind follows everywhere …

My love is like river

It flows through barriers

And dances with the rocks along the way

My love is what life is …

Lives … acts … quiets my qualms!

Living Spaces

Blog 202:

 

Accommodations ...

At a hotel: One to Five stars?

Choice and cost are plenty

One-two star hotels are almost always sub-standard!

Take the last two I stayed in - Euro and GG

Of which I' not divulging real names ...

At Euro, finding a working room was one adventure of sort

Bursting shower water, unkempt lavatory, devoid of basic toiletries

Skimpy bed sheets without a blanket over a foam mattress

A nightmarish sleep from cold air that couldn't be controlled

So one must wake to turn it off ...

Then on again when temp becomes intolerably hot ...

Air conditioning cover that falls out if it were accidentally touched

Wifi-free, it bragged on brochure, but non-working on my floor!

A window that looks out to a seeming stair well of sort for emergency!

I should have used it to escape !!!

 

At GG, owner makes big profit

Out of foreigners who don't know any better

What awaits them ...

From standard to deluxe room choices

One could expect not much difference ...

Substandard lavatory weakened by a plastic sliding door!

Has anyone gone in to a room such as that?

The unfortunate reality is that there aren't as many choices

For one bound by a tightly-financed "vacation" of sort ...

 

Comparatively, GG fares better than Euro in many terms

Service at GG adds to a client's convenience

From wifi, to laundry ... and culturally-sensitive breakfast menu

That includes scrumptious rice and noodle recipes

And those green, yellow mangoes … dragon fruit!

 

Next time you and I visit an Asian city … wherever that maybe

Let’s plan accommodation realities much better!

Lesson learned: 

All those that come in an accommodation's brochure

Aren’t what could be expected!

Underground River

Blog 201:

 

Nature's Wonder

River water ... captivating, cool, calm

Caves shelter and hide it from earth's abusers

It stands untouched by 'progressive ventures'

Inside, it boasts of natural architecture

A cathedral ... animals, iconic characters

Within, it collects and forms stalagmites

That bend and shape themselves

Into something minds' eyes could only imagine

Underground River, Palawan

Flora and Fauna

Blog 200:

 

Flora and Fauna

Palms, mangroves, pandanus

Everywhere one looks, vegetation lusciously abounds

Bougainvillea, orchid, chrysanthemum, yellow bell and more

Hidden in the thick of forest groves

Tarsiers, turtles, deer live their wild dreams

Richness and beauty … their presence amaze the eyes

And quenches thirst for natural beauty

All long for at a homecoming …

Palawan's Ugong Forest Park

Hidden Beauty

Blog 199:

 

Hidden Beauty

Tremendous natural wood architecture

Surrounded by mangroves and sea blue waters

It is Puerto Princesa's meeting place

For those who love food from the sea and more

I loved its ambiance and warmth

Badjao Seafood Establishment

Water Dance

 

Blog 198:

Water Dance

Billowy, mild, cool blue green

From a distance it seems calm

But up close it is stealthy

Western Philippine Sea

Treat Yourself

Smooth out the cares of the days
With aroma-filled and therapeutic herbs
Blot the eye circles with fresh cucumber
And cool them til they rest easy
Massage the facial wrinkles
Relax the age-built years
Close your eyes ...
Sleep ... slumber in sweet music
And shortly, wake up refreshed!

Pass on the Gift

A decade ago
Friends and I met young men
Uprooted from their innocent lives
Who fought for attention
And business to ferry us around
To and from the hostel we stayed
While 'in mission with children
Socially abandoned, forgotten' ...

One dared to ask for help ...
He wanted to better himself
And secure a much progressive life
Away from the humdrum and dangers
Of motodop passenger-ferrying ...

Spotting a potential untapped,
I did respond, and to school
I did put him to learn number accounting ...
In return, he assisted me
In my work with children less fortunate
And in worse shape ...

To Siem Reap, I returned once more
To rekindle friendships ... silver and gold
I once more met the once young man
Now more mature and self-assured
Proudly, he tells me ...
"I thank you for your kindness to me
And I want to return the favor once you gave to me."
I looked at him with awe, but told him instead,
"No.  Knowing that you've put to good use
What you said you would,
I'd rather you yourself find
Someone else to pick up and mold!"
I added ... "GO and PASS ON  the GIFT
That you once received, and be happy!"

Stream of Consciousness (14)

8:53 Taking some quiet time away gives me inner peace.  Outside, all transport imaginable ply the dirt or paved roads to and fro sporting both noisy and quiet engines.  Travelers, local or foreign, abound everywhere.  They all seem to have immediate and secondary purposes out there.

10:28 Inside Angkor Holiday Hostel, visitors look over their day's agenda, enjoy early or late breakfasts, wait on one another at the lobby.  Workers, like ants, begin to make their rounds in the rooms, in the kitchen, at the pool, in the corporate and events' rooms.   A new day of adventure begins.

11:17 From where I sit, I could view roofs ... ornate, terracotta hues, ancient and modern all bunched and fighting for space as people squeeze a building, two or more, in every space available on the ground.  Sattellite towers and high rise condominiums sprout alongside business establishments all over Cambodia's  Siem Reap City.  Down below, close to hotels and other business spots, 'motodops', 'tuktuks'  and modern rickshaws wait to be called upon for business and service.  All fight bullishly for tourists' business ... currency.

2:10 Mild heat now seeps.  I've not experienced Siem Reap this cool during the dry spell.  It's quite a comfortable environ to be in comparison to the wet season during which rains get lavishly unkind and dirt roads become all muddy and irksome.  I couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.  Even blackbirds tweet and play in remaining tall palm and fruit trees, alongside anahaw bushes.

Believers ...

Believers
Christians, Muslims, Buddhists
All share tenets of kindness ...
"To others do, as you would do to yourself!"
"Empty yourself and get filled by the Holiest of Spirits!"
"Be good stewards of the earth and its resources!"
All share tenets of openness ...
Brothers, sisters, young and old
God's Children

Faith

Belief
Seeing, feeling, knowing
There are those who must see to believe
There are those who believe just by gut feeling
There are those who know exactly what to believe
People's understanding comes in many phases
Faith

A King is Dead

Blog 192:

An earthly monarchical king is dead
His people mourn for a hundred days ...

All over the kingdom
His iconic face takes center stage
And in public and private establishment
He is revered ... at least for a few more days
Until his body is burned and given a royal send-off
Amidst solemn prayers and adoration

An earthly monarchial king is dead
So what?
Life takes its natural course
It lives, then it is extinguished
Whether or not one likes it!

Youth Hub

Blog 191:

At Youth Hub
Children from the neighboring slum gathered
They came with their smiles
They came in their raggedy, worn-out clothes
Or their best clothing fresh from yesterday's laundry
They came without expectations
Except perhaps, out of curiosity
For foreign faces' presence
And for some conversation
To practice choppy, book-learned English.

Today though, they heard a story of long ago
A story of a different gathering
And speaking in many tongues
That glorified the one true God of the universe
Who made His presence known
Through wind and flames
Yes ... they listened intently, or mindlessly
As they smelled fresh-baked bread
They hoped they shortly might share
Together ... in communion with those
Whose hearts God had touched
Whose hearts God had long been preparing
To open, and receive willingly!