Ate Maui

Our Little Angel

2012-01-19T15:33:00.000+08:00

I was surprised one day in November finding out that I was pregnant! I will cherish this little angel forever.

What's the most fun thing you have going on this week?

2011-07-09T09:25:00.001+08:00

For the past three weeks, Doy and I have been conducting trainings on ICT Sustainability and Leadership for Public School administrators. It is tiring to conduct trainings and traveling, but it's all worth it!

Ask me anything

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T14:22:00.000+08:00

Happy Easter!

I have always loved the Easter Season. I grew up in a community that celebrated Easter heavily, as our parish church is Resurrection of Our Lord. But Easter has also impacted me in a very personal way.

Easter gives me hope for things initially thought hopeless. Easter is the great fulfillment of God's promise, whom I believe truly loves me. I know that the Lord has his plans for me, and I pray that I may be more sensitive and open to his leading.

Easter, to me, is also about new beginnings. New Beginnings are the two words in our wedding invitation, and we scheduled our wedding during the Easter season. But more than this special occasion in my life, it's also about starting anew and changing for the better.

So what does Easter mean to you?

Paalala para sa ika-13 Tour of the Fireflies

2011-04-15T15:24:00.001+08:00

Asahan ang mabigat na daloy ng trapiko sa mga sumusunod na lugar na dadaanan ng halos 10,000 siklista sa darating na ika-13 Tour of the Fireflies:

Ortigas Avenue patungong N. Domingo at Hemady sa New Manila (mula 7:00 hanggang 8:00nu)
E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue patungong Quiapo (mula 8:00 hanggang 9:00nu)
Quiapo hanggang CCP na dadaan sa Roxas Boulevard (mula 9:00 hanggang 9:30nu)
Roxas Boulevard patungong Quiapo (mula 9:30 hanggang 10:30nu)
Espana patungong Gilmore sa New Manila (mula 10:30 hanggang 11:00nu)
New Manila patungong Tiendesitas sa Pasig na dadaan sa Ortigas (mula 11:00nu hanggang 12:00)

Inaanyayahan ang publikong palakpakan ang mga siklistang dadaan sa mga nasabing lungsod. Ibahagi ang paalaalang ito sa inyong mga kamag-anak at kaibigan.

Halos 10,000 siklista ang inaasahang dadalo sa biking event na ito. Para sa mga motoristang maiipit sa mabigat na daloy ng trapiko, ito ang ilan naming maipapayo:

Ihinto ang inyong sasakyan para makatipid sa krudo.
Ngitian at kawayan ang mga siklista. Mag-cheer kayo sa kanila!
Huwag po kayong bumusina dahil ito ay noise pollution at makakataranta sa mga kasali. Bagkus, buksan ang radyo ng inyong sasakyan at ibahagi ang inyong sounds.
I-text o i-tweet ang inyong mga kaibigan at sabihing kayo ay bahagi ng kasaysayan dahil nasasaksihan ninyo ang tour.
Tanungin ang inyong sarili "Bakit wala pa akong bisikleta?" at magsimula nang magplano kung paano bubuuin ang iyong bisikleta para makasali sa tour sa susunod na taon.
Kumuha ng mga litrato at i-upload ito sa iyong Facebook account.
Kumuha rin ng video at i-upload sa YouTube.
Abangan ang mga sikat na celebrity na kasama sa tour.
Ang Abril 17 ay Linggo ng Palaspas. Iwagayway ang mga dala ninyong palaspas pagdaan ng mga siklista.
Para sa mga kasong emergency, tawagin ang atensyon ng marshal, pulis o traffic enforcer.

Matapos ang ilang sandali, makikita ninyong nakadaan na ang lahat ng siklista at pwede na kayong dumaan. Salamat sa pagbabahagi ng ating mga kakalsadahan!

Para sa detalye ng ruta, tingnan ang http://fireflybrigade.org or http://facebook.com/fireflybrigade-phils o kaya'y tumawag sa 219.4985.

Bawal magkasakit

2011-02-22T21:10:00.000+08:00

Isa sa mga bagay na ayaw ko ay ang pagkakasakit. Syempre pag maysakit ka, masama ang pakiramdam mo, limitado ang pwede mong gawin at ang pwede mong kainin (syempre kelangan banggitin ang pagkain dahil mahilig ako kumain!). Maraming bagay na hindi mo nae-enjoy pag ikaw ay maysakit.

Wala akong sakit ngayon pero ang asawa ko ay maysakit. Syempre apektado ako nito, dahil nahihirapan ako sa kanyang kalagayan. Parang maysakit din ako. Pero sa puntong ito kelangan malakas ako para maalagaan ko siya. Kaya dali-dali akong umalis ng opisina para mapuntahan siya at maalagaan. Tinatanong ko siya madalas kung ano ang kailangan niya. Na-touch ako sa kanyang sagot "Kelangan ko ng katabi". Aww, heto naman ako at tumabi sa kanya, at handang ibigay kung ano ang kanyang kailangan. Nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos sa pagkakataong ito para maalagaan ang aking asawa, at maipadama sa kanya ang pagmamahal. Hinihiling ko sa Panginoon na pagalingin ang aking asawa sa kanyang karamdaman.

Thank you 2010! Hello 2011!

2010-12-31T20:24:00.004+08:00

2010 has been a very good and special year! This is the year of "New Beginnings": life forever with my beloved Doy. This year I got opportunities to do training, and be involved once again with AFI. This is the year when I started to engage in research professionally, in my work and in CPRsouth. This year I got to travel to new places like Pagudpud, El Nido and Samal Island, and re-connected with my favorite places like Real and Albay. This year the Ateneo Blue Eagles won its 3rd basketball championship and is the jubilee year for Ateneo Batch 2000. This year I met many new friends, and also got re-connected with many longtime ones.

There were also some lows this year. I haven't finished my thesis. I've also had some struggles in my professional work. I've done a lot of serious thinking an crying about what I really want to do, of finding "my voice". I just knew that if I wanted to be successful in what I wanted to do, I have to work harder on it.

I am very thankful for 2010, though I felt it went by so fast! I praise and thank God for His faithfulness. Our marriage has been blessed, and has been a blessing to me. In those times that I felt down, the Lord answers my prayers. It's always good to be reminded to always trust and hope in the Lord. I'm also very grateful for family. They have always given unwavering support and my source of strength.

So now I welcome 2011 filled with hope and trust in the Lord. I have so many prayers and dreams, may the Lord answer them in the way that is best for me, for us.

"My past, O Lord, to your Mercy; my present, to your Love; my future, to your Providence!" -St. Padre Pio

The month of August

2010-08-27T17:17:00.000+08:00

I have so much to be grateful for this month. I thank the Lord for giving me another year in this world. The greetings of friends and family were really overwhelming, had a handful of celebrations with colleagues, friends and family. I really felt the love. Thank You, Lord!

I am also grateful for the 4 months of marriage. It has been wonderful! I'm truly blessed to have a very good husband, partner and friend. I think we're able to establish some routine at home, with my husband cooking, while I wash the dishes! This is quite an odd arrangement, but I'm glad my husband doesn't mind. Hopefully soon I could cook for him. Wish me luck!

Since it's the birthday month I prayed to the Lord for a lot of things. One of them is a very special one :) I do believe that God answers our prayers in the way that is best for us, so I just keep my faith. And for who I am, what I have right now, I am very grateful to the Lord.

100 days

2010-07-26T09:53:00.000+08:00

Para akong presidente, nag-count down ng 100 days since our wedding day :) It took me a few days to notice that, yeah, it's been more than 3 months, or 100 days na pala. Mabilis din ang panahon.

We have been generally following our normal routine of doing work and house chores. We're glad that Doy found his camping stove, which we now use for cooking. Doy was able to cook pasta, fried foods, and his very delicious scrambled eggs. Sadly, though, I'm still unable to cook. But I promised Doy that I will cook when we're able to set up our big stove that we purchased a few months ago.

I'm still pretty busy doing research work for a nonprofit organization, as well as a project for my thesis. I wish I could focus more on my thesis, but I also need to earn money, and my nonprofit work allows me to do that. The challenge for me is attending to all these activities, and giving my best for each one. Doy spends most of his time at home while doing freelance work, so he takes care of most stuff in the house. I'm also glad that I a able to work a few days a week at home so I get to spend time with Doy.

We're glad to be able to ride a bike again in the monthly critical mass rides of the Firefly Brigade. We rode our tandem bicycle. It's been a while since we last used our tandem bike.

Photo by Erwin Paala

One of those days

2010-06-07T14:36:00.000+08:00

Teaching is one of my passions and interests. I am trying to build a career that is related to teaching or to training. I am glad to have landed in jobs in the past that gave me opportunities to teach or do training. I pursued graduate studies and post-graduate courses to enhance my craft. I also did some consulting jobs that involved training.

In one of my recent consulting jobs where I did training, I felt that the objectives of the training has hardly been achieved. I really felt bad because it is my responsibility to help achieve those objectives. I was the resource person. There are a lot of factors that have affected this, but the bottomline is I was not able to prepare well enough, and that I feel that I lacked a lot of competencies of being a good trainer. I feel I have shortchanged the participants and the organizers. I feel that I am not fit for the job.

I hope that I will really, truly learn from this experience if I am to become serious in becoming a good, or even an excellent trainer.

New Beginnings First Month

2010-06-01T09:27:00.000+08:00

Doy and I have been married for more than a month already. There have been some adjustments of course, but I guess having dated Doy for close to 9 years have helped a lot. I know that Doy had to adjust with having me around the house, since he was used to living alone. I for my part had to adjust with doing the things that were usually done for me before, such as preparing food to eat, washing the dishes, laundry, etc. Although already known to us, we also had to adjust to each other's sleeping habits. I'd like to think that we are discoverers, discovering more on our relationship, of each other, and of ourselves.

New Beginnings 10 April 2010

2010-04-29T10:53:00.001+08:00

Doy and I wanted a simple and beautiful wedding, together with our closest family and friends. I searched, asked and consulted several people about the essential elements in a Catholic wedding. We've somehow modeled our wedding to the simple and beautiful weddings we've attended. We did not hire a wedding coordinator and did almost everything ourselves. Planning our wedding wasn’t easy, but it was a wonderful experience for us.

Invitation

Doy designed our wedding invitation. It was like a magazine cover, with a photo of the chapel. It had a title “New Beginnings”. At the back of the magazine cover is a Q&A about the wedding, and a staff box that has our names, the names of our parents, best man, maid of honor and principal sponsors. We had our invitations printed at UP Diliman Shopping Center, and were placed in document envelopes.

Attire

We bought linen cloth and satin as material for our wedding attire. Mine was a short white dress while Doy’s was a polo with ¾ sleeves. We just found a supplier, Mr. Elmer Zamora, to sew the dress and the polo.

For my shoes I made sure I have a comfortable pair so I bought a white wedge shoes.

Church

On our way to Polilio Island we found a chapel facing the Pacific Ocean. The name of the chapel is Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion located in Barangay Tignoan, Real, Quezon. Real, Quezon is a 2 and a half hour zigzaggy but breathtaking ride from Quezon City. One can see the view of the mountains and Laguna de Bay.

For us the chapel was the perfect place to get married! We inquired at the parish church that supervises the chapel, St. Raphael the Archangel, at the town proper. Thankfully we got permission from the parish priest to get married there. We also had to secure permission from our parishes to get married in Real, as no one of us is from that place. Doy is from Manila and I am from Quezon City. We had a bit of difficulty as we had to travel there from time to time to submit requirements, to attend the pre-cana seminar and to touch base with potential suppliers.

Ceremony and Presider

We did not have an entourage. No bridesmaids, ring and coin bearers and flower girls. We just assigned our friends to be secondary sponsors, and asked our best man to carry the wedding rings and arrhae. Before the ceremony started, our parents, ninong and ninang (we had only a pair), and our secondary sponsors were just told to sit at their designated places in the chapel. I did not even plan to walk down the aisle, because I think the aisle is too short. So when the people saw me walk fast at the altar they were surprised! Then they requested me to walk, which I obliged. Everyone thought that was funny, maybe the funniest moment during the wedding :)

The wedding ceremony was held within a Eucharistic celebration/mass, presided by a good friend, Fr. Raymond Arre, parish priest of the Parish of Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman. He delivered a beautiful homily. What I also liked about the celebration was when the guests approached us during the sign of peace, and when Doy and I gave communion to each other.

I asked Kuya Jun Tariga, one of my former choir mates to sing and play solo during the ceremony, and picked regular mass songs so that everyone can sing.

Our guests loved the view of the ocean from the chapel windows and the feel of the ocean breeze.

Flowers and Church Decor

We bought flowers from Dangwa and drapes from Divisoria and brought them the day before our wedding. The flowers had a simple arrangement done by the church workers. While the church workers were cleaning the chapel, setting up the fixtures and arranging the flowers, we were putting up the drapes.

Reception Venue

We had our reception at The Pacific Recreation Kamp (The PaRK), a resort just right beside the chapel. The PaRK is a popular surfing camp in Real, Quezon. The resort has a wide and beautiful garden there was no need for decorations. The venue rental covered parking as well as entrance fees for the guests. After the reception, some of our guests went swimming, snorkelling and learned how to surf (there are surf instructors and boards for rent).

Since our reception venue is a garden, we had to rent a tent. We rented the tent from Bells and Doves. We got them because they were the fast to respond to our inquiries via email and SMS. Since the supplier is from Sucat they charged us for out of town fee, which was quite reasonable. However, we were disappointed because the supplier charged us with early set up fee for our request to set up the tent the day before our wedding. We were told before that the early set up was already covered by the out of town fee, so we were surprised by this additional charge. We were also disappointed that they were not able to deliver the side wall for one of the small tents that we rented, which was already paid. We gave a partial payment for the early set up fee, and gave the remaining balance a few days after the wedding.

Catering and Food

We had a difficult time finding a caterer for our wedding. There were caterers in the nearby areas (Real and Infanta), but they could not provide tables and chairs, which means we’d have to rent them separately. I contacted many caterers in Metro Manila/Rizal areas. Some of them did not respond, others told me that they couldn’t cater in Real, some were already booked, and some can cater but their out of town fees cost an arm and a leg. We’re glad to have found a good caterer that was willing to provide catering services for a reasonable price in Gerry’s Grill Blue Wave/Marquinton. We liked their menu packages because their offer is only for food and drinks, no fancy stuff that we don’t need unlike the wedding packages of other caterers. The account officer and manager of Gerry’s Grill were very nice and they really made an effort to fulfill our requirements. Their menu was perfect for a beach wedding. We had grilled chicken and fish, sisig, kare-kare, pinakbet, rice, leche flan and bottomless iced tea. The table centerpieces were Malaysian mums and shells that I bought in Cebu.

Instead of having a cake, we bought cupcakes from Mom and Tina’s. The chocolate cupcakes were a hit! We also bought Hardy’s chardonnay for the wine toast.

Souvenirs

We gave away canvas bags that we designed and asked our friend, Hanna Fernando-Pacua, to produce.

Photography

Instead of hiring a wedding photographer we asked our photographer friends to take photos of our wedding. They are Jops Josef, Aly Yap and Pio Fortuno. Jops is a good friend of mine who is a hobbyist. Aly is Doy's friend, sports photographer. Pio Fortuno is one of our biker friends, a professional photographer. We’re very glad that they rendered their time and talent for free on our special day. Many of the wedding photos are beautifully candid, and we love them!

We opted not to hire a videographer for our wedding because we feel that sometimes videos can be disruptive, makes guests more conscious/unnatural. We feel that our photos captured enough memories of our beautiful wedding. We still had some videos though, shot by our family and friends.

Overall, we can say that the wedding that Doy and I had planned and wanted truly happened. Our wedding also proved that you need not spend so much to have a beautiful and memorable wedding. Our guests were saying that our wedding was one of the most relaxed and cool wedding they have attended. As one of our good friends said in her blog “Everything was brief but sweet, making it definitely a wedding to remember!”.

Thank you 2009! Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T23:32:00.000+08:00

In a few minutes, we'll be welcoming a new year!

2009 has been a busy and crazy year for me. I changed my job late this year, and also changed my thesis topic. These were difficult transitions in my professional and student life, but I consider myself blessed and thankful for these changes. I feel that these experiences opened up opportunities for me to learn and grow professionally in my chosen career.

The most memorable highlight of my year happened last April when I changed my status from being "In a Relationship" to "Engaged" in a grand proposal that I never imagined will happen to me. I'm looking forward to our wedding and having our own family.

Overall, I am truly thankful for this year, and I truly feel that the Lord took care of me. I'm looking and moving forward to the coming year, which is a few minutes away as I write this post.

Happy New Year!

Just installed Google Sidewiki

2009-11-10T12:14:00.001+08:00

I'm trying out one of the newest Google tools called Google Sidewiki. To know more about it, go to this site: http://www.google.com/sidewiki/intl/en/.

in reference to: Google Sidewiki (view on Google Sidewiki)

Magkasama

2009-10-27T23:36:00.000+08:00

Medyo magulo nitong nakaraang buwan, pero malaki ang aking pasasalamat sa iyo, sa iyong pagdamay at pagtulong sa akin, sa pagmamahal at inspirasyon. Ito ang ilan sa mga pinakamasasayang mga araw at linggo sa aking buhay. Babaunin ko ito sa pagsabak ko sa bagong trabaho sa darating na buwan.

Updates

2009-10-22T12:29:00.000+08:00

Kumusta naman ako?

Mapalad ako at ang aking pamilya na hindi naapektuhan ng pagbaha na dala ng bagyong Ondoy. Ngunit di naman ako pinalad dahil nung linggo ring iyon ay nawalan ako ng trabaho.

Yun na ang ikalawang beses na nawalan ako ng trabaho sa taong ito. Noong una ay nawala ngunit na-renew naman (naghintay lang ako ng ilang araw). Sa pagkakataong ito ay walang kaseguraduhan kung mare-renew pa ba o hindi.

Ako ay nalungkot, sobrang nag-alala at naguguluhan. Hindi pwedeng wala akong trabaho. Paano ko susuportahan ang pamilya ko? Paano ko mababayaran ang mga bills? Wala pa akong naiipon para sa kasal at sa pang-sustento sa aking pag-aaral.

Naging magulo ang buhay para sa akin. Nawala ang pokus ko sa paggawa ng thesis dahil kelangan ko maghanap ng trabaho. Nakahanap naman ako ng raket sa loob ng isang linggo, at pinagtuunan ko ito nang atensyon. Pero pagkatapos nun ay wala na naman akong trabaho. Binalikan ko ang paggawa ng thesis ngunit hindi na sapat ang oras para makapag-submit ako ng output dahil tapos na ang semestre.

Ngayon naman ay nagdatingan ang mga oportunidad para sa trabaho. May 2-3 trabaho akong pinagpipilian. Mukhang lumilinaw na ang mga bagay-bagay. Sana makagawa ako ng tamang desisyon tungkol sa trabaho. Sana umayos na rin ang buhay ko.

Ang aking thesis

2009-09-16T17:51:00.003+08:00

Ang daming naging problema ng aking thesis:

Ang unang proposal ko ay hindi tinanggap. Nagkaroon ng 2 klaseng rekomendasyon: ang isa ay "wide and shallow" at ang pangalawa ay si "narrow but deep".
Pinili ko ang "narrow but deep". Nagawa ko ang initial work ngunit hindi nagawa ang pangalawa at pinakaimportanteng phase ng work dahil sa ilang mga kondisyon.
So balik na naman ako sa umpisa, sa paggawa ng proposal. Gumawa ako at nag-submit.
Nag-komento ang aking adviser at sinabing may kulang sa aking proposal. Ngayon ay pinasu-submit na lamang ako ng 5-page paper tungkol sa ano ba talaga ang gusto kong gawin.

Sa totoo lang po, AKO PO ANG PROBLEMA! Nahihirapan ako mag-concentrate. Marami kasing ibang concerns. Kasama na rin dito ang pagkawala ng gana sa paggawa, dahil sa frustration ko sa ilang mga pangyayari at mga problema. To the point na ayaw ko na ituloy! Kaya lang nanghihinayang ako sa oras, pagod at salapi (ito ang pinakamasakit) na iginugol ko, at ang pang-aabala ko sa ilang mga tao, sa paggawa ng thesis. Sana ay magawa ko na at matapos ito. Ipagdasal nyo po ako.

Edad 30

2009-08-18T18:27:00.003+08:00

Ngayon ay ipinagdiriwang ko ang aking ika-30 kaarawan.

Nasasabik ako sa pagsampa ko sa edad 30. Sabi sa isang website, ang ibig sabihin daw ng 30 ay "being 3 x 10, denotes in a higher degree the perfection of Divine order, as marking the right moment" (http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/30.html). Nasus sa edad 30 si Hesus nang magsimula sa kanyang misyon. Gayon din ang mga kilalang mga katauhan sa bibliya na sina Jose, David, Ezekiel, Juan Bautista, at Pablo.

Ngayon iniisip ko kung makakarating ako sa "higher degree of perfection". Pakiramdam ko na ang estado ng aking buhay sa ngayon ay malayo sa perpekto. Bagamat ganon ay marami akong dapat ipagpasalamat sa loob ng 30 taon. Nananalig at nananalangin ako na ako ay maging isang mas mabuting anak, kapatid, kaibigan... and in the near future a good wife and mother. I also pray for grace and blessings. Sana magawa ko ang kelangan kong magawa, at sana matupad ang aking mga pangarap.

I like this bike!

2009-07-27T12:46:00.003+08:00

Kaya lang I can't afford it! Oh well, ang ganda nya tingnan, especially when Idol Lance Armstrong rode it at the Tour de France yesterday :)

Photo by Graham Watson from http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/26/graham-watson-photos-up-armstrongs-butterfly-contadors-yellow-black-madones/

More information on this bike here.

Back to work

2009-07-23T14:23:00.003+08:00

After more than 2 weeks of forced leave, I have come back to work at the office. What makes me wonder is that I'm still not in the rhythm of working at the office, considering that even while I was on leave I was working. Maybe because, and this is what I feared actually, is that I might have become so used to working at my own time and pace. And maybe also because I feel some frustration about some aspects about work, about my studies, about my life. So now that my mind is drifting away on what I'm supposed to do, here I am plurking, twittering, facebooking and blogging.

I'd love to have my focus and enthusiasm back for the things I am working on. Lord, help me!

Just Go

2009-05-21T17:55:00.001+08:00

I loved the rendition of this song sung this morning by Lionel Richie and my favorite among American Idol Season 8 contestants Danny Gokey

"Just Go"

It'd be so nice
If you didn't have to feel so lonely
It'd be so nice
If I could sneak you for a moment

I know you like to get away, go away, far away
To a place where there's just us two
Got a busy day, everyday but not today
'Cause I'm here to take that stress from you

So you can just chill and clear your head
And let me do everything for you
'Cause you deserve it
Prepare your meal and make your bed
Well, let just first make this with you
'Cause you are so worth it

I just want us to go
(Go, go)
Drop everything and just go
(Go, go)

I just want us to go
(Go, go)
Drop everything and just go
(Go, go)

Ang kwento ng akala kong nawawalang bisikleta

2009-04-20T20:55:00.001+08:00

Asan na ang bike ko?

Ito ang paulit-ulit kong sinasabi habang idinaraos ang pambungad na programa ng Tour of the Fireflies, isang taunang parada ng mga siklista, kung saan ako nag-volunteer bilang marshall. Ang mga kapwa ko marshall ay nakahanda na, samantalang ako naman ay hindi pa. Ilang beses kong kinulit si Doy tungkol sa aking bisikleta, dahil siya ang nagtatago nito, at dahil sinabi niya sa akin na ito ay kanyang dinala sa Tiendesitas isang araw bago ang tour. Paulit-ulit lang sa aking sinabi ni Doy na "Pinakuha ko na, parating na." Pero ako'y alalang-alala na hindi makapag-marshall dahil wala akong bisikleta.

Ito kami habang hinihintay ang bisikleta

Ngunit ilang sandali ako'y pinatawag sa stage. Iniisip ko, siguro tungkol ito sa bisikleta ko. Maya-maya naman ay tinawag si Doy. At nagsalita na nahanap na nya ang aking bisikleta.

Nagulat ako nang bumungad sa akin ang isang Lynskey Performance Design na bisikleta (Iba kasing bisikleta ang hinahanap ko). Ang Lynskey frame ay gawa sa Titanium. Napakatibay nito, at built to last for a lifetime. Tapos lumuhod si Doy at sinabing "Will you ride with me forever?"

Bad trip lang dahil nakaharang ang flag

Naiyak ako sa tuwa. Si Doy magaling magsorpresa. So far, ito ang pinakamagandang sorpresa na kanyang ginawa :)

Syempre may kiss (pero take 2 na raw ito)! Kinikilig ako, pati na rin ang mga bikers na nakasaksi sa okasyong ito.

Sa totoo lang, wala akong masabi sa ginawang ito ni Doy. I'm so overwhelmed by so much love and happiness. I pray that we will ride together forever...

Ito na ako bago sumabak sa peloton

Salamat kay Rochelle Cuyco sa mga larawan.

Mukhang gusto ko na mag-bike commute

2009-03-25T05:47:00.000+08:00

Mukhang gusto ko na mag-bike commute.

After more than 2 years of biking around the streets of Metro Manila during weekends e ngayon ko lang talaga ito nasabi.

Sa totoo lang, palagi akong kinakabahan tuwing nagbibisikleta ako. Praning ako tuwing may nakakatabing mga mabibilis na mga jeep, bus, motorsiklo, kotse at ang mga pasaway na mga motorista. Sasabayan pa yan ng usok, dumi at init. Lumalakas lang ang loob ko dahil kasama ko si Doy. :) Gustuhin ko man mag-bike commute e tingin ko ay parang hindi ko kaya.

Kaya grabe rin ang kaba ko nang malaman na ang mga training rides ng mga marshalls sa Tour of the Fireflies (nag-volunteer kasi akong mag-marshall) ay gagawin sa EDSA! Isa na siguro ang EDSA sa mga kalye na pinaka-"unfriendly" sa mga siklista. Sa kabutihang palad ay natapos ko ang ride, kasama ng halos 80 siklista.

From this experience I realized that I am capable of biking around busy streets. Parang mas lumakas na ang loob ko. Na-realize ko na maybe I can already bike commute! Matagal ko na itong gustong gawin, at baka malapit ko na itong magawa. Anyway, mukhang wala pang 10 kilometro ang layo ng aking tirahan sa aking opisina :)

mga larawan ni renemartingo (mula sa http://www.pinoymtbiker.org)

Tour of the Fireflies 2009

2009-03-15T20:23:00.000+08:00

Put some fun between your legs! On April 19, 2009 ride your bikes together with 5,000+ others!

For more details, you may visit http://tourofthefireflies.multiply.com/.

Para sa mga kababaihan

2009-03-09T18:31:00.003+08:00

Ngayong Marso ay buwan ng mga kababaihan. Ipagdiwang at isulong ang kanilang galing at kapakanan.

Bakit kelangang pahalagahan ang mga babae? Ayon sa The Girl Effect, importante na bigyang halaga ang mga kababaihan dahil malaki ang kanilang nagagawa sa pagpapaunlad ng kanilang komunidad (tingnan ang fact sheet).

Maraming mga aktibidad, lokal at pandaigdigan, ang mga aktibidad para sa buwan ng mga kababaihan. Ang UNESCO at ang National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women ay ilan sa mga organisasyon na naghanda ng mga pagdiriwang sa espesyal na buwan na ito.

Ang Firefly Brigade, isang organisasyon ng mga siklista na nagsusulong ng malinis na hangin, ay magsasagawa ng women's month critical mass ride. At sa Tour of the Fireflies, itatampok ang mga kababaihan bilang mga Pace Marshall, ang mamumuno sa peloton ng mga libu-libong siklistang lalahok sa tour. Pipilitin kong makasama sa mga aktibidad na ito.

From Another bike!

My Valentine Gift

2009-02-23T20:55:00.004+08:00

This is me right after trying out my new bike. A very nice Valentine gift, if you ask me. This is one of the bikes I'd love to have (see this blog entry). Wouldn't trade this for flowers, chocolates and fancy restaurant dinners. I hope this gift motivates me to get into cycling more seriously :)

My music player!

2009-02-11T15:30:00.000+08:00

Got tagged by Tricia. I'm tagging Crystal, Mel, Carl, Hobe, JM, Benny, Mia, Mike, Joy, Raissa and Tricia. Sobrang aliw ito!

RULES:

Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
Tag at least 10 friends (make me #11 so I can see your results).
Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
After the Love Has Gone by Earth Wind and Fire (parang di yata ito tama)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF
Think It Over by Side A and ZsaZsa Padilla (kelangan ko nga yata pag-isipan ito hehe)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The Same Love by The Jets (hmmm)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Easy Kind O’ Love by Marvic Sotto (pang-Valentine’s Day!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Together Again by Janet Jackson (kasi kanina after the love has gone. Ngayon together again naman!)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Boogie Nights by Heatwave (‘Coz boogie nights are always the best in town!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Dancing Queen version ni Regine Velasquez (mahilig nga yata talaga ako sumayaw!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Patti Austin (huh?)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder (oh enjoy talaga ako sa numbers haha!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
What Do We Mean to Each Other by Joe Pizzulo and Kevyn Lettau (di alam ang estado ng relationship)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Everything I Own by Bread

Sunrise

2009-02-03T21:16:00.000+08:00

(photos of the beautiful sunrise in the cities of Oroquieta and Dumaguete)

Good morning sunshine
Welcome the day to hope for
today, tomorrow...

OroQUIETa City

2009-02-03T20:50:00.000+08:00

Quiet = Peace

Took these pictures from Misamis Occidental National High School in Oroquieta City. Got really interested in their promotion of peace and peace education in their school. Looks like they are living up to the name of their city, where you can find at the middle of its name a word related to peace.

Business - High schools to learn financial literacy - INQUIRER.net

2009-01-23T03:56:00.000+08:00

Link

Our photo during the gift giving ride

2009-01-06T16:22:00.003+08:00

"Thank you, Doy and Maui, for gamely riding as Mr. and Mrs. Santa. You were a cheerful and happy sight to behold... especially on your tandem bike!" - Mia Bunao

Thanks to the Firefly Brigade for this wonderful opportunity! We had a lot of fun! Feeling celebrity kami that time :)

The rest of the photos and the short article can be found here.

E-Bonding

2009-01-04T12:39:00.003+08:00

Bagay na bagay ang comic strip na ito sa aming magkakapatid. Nang magkaroon ng wireless router sa loob ng bahay, at magkaroon kami ng sari-sarili naming mga netbook, parang katulad ng nangyayari sa comic strip ang nangyayari sa amin ngayon!

My Parents' 30th Wedding Anniversary

2008-12-30T21:06:00.001+08:00

Today we celebrated the 30th wedding anniversary of our parents. It was delayed by a few days, as our dad had work on their anniversary day.

We hardly go out as a family. We spend most of our time together as a family, during Sundays, at home. So I look forward to times when we would go out. We had planned to have lunch and go for some shopping. I didn't expect though that our "pasyal" would last for more than half day! I guess we really had a fun time. Mom said that she didn't go tired while walking around the malls (we went to two!).

I honor my dad for being a very good husband and father. I honor my mom for being a very good wife and mother. I am amazed at how they have raised a loving home and family. I thank God for giving us hardworking, patient and loving parents. :)

Wedding Anniversary Gift

2008-12-28T11:44:00.000+08:00

My parents are celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary today. At dahil wala akong naibigay na regalo sa kanila nung 25th anniversary nila e bumawi naman ako this time around. Pinagbigyan ko ang hiling ni Mommy na gas stove, dahil medyo bulok na ang luma naming gas stove. Bumili ako ng gas stove na siguradong tatagal sa amin.

Masaya akong nakita siya kahapon na naka-set up na sa aming mumunting kusina.

At the Gift Giving Ride

2008-12-21T13:49:00.001+08:00

Doy and I were Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at the 3rd Gift Giving Ride of the Firefly Brigade. We're glad to have made this ride kahit na-late kami. It is indeed an honor to be part of this activity. This gift giving ride is our 2nd, and it has been as fulfilling as last year's. The Santa costumes c/o the Firefly Brigade helped in making the ride more fun not only among the recipient families, but also for all who saw us during the ride! We heared shouts of "Hi", "Merry Christmas", and "Santa, pamasko ko!". We again saw Doy's Aeta foster family during his Theology immersion about 8 years ago, and the meeting made us teary eyed once again. This time, Doy made sure that his foster family had his contact # so that they could keep in touch.

'Til the next ride :)

Gising

2008-11-28T08:37:00.007+08:00

Ako lang ang gising ngayon. Tatlong gabi na kaming puyat at halos walang tulog mula nang pumanaw si Tita Vickie.

Ang hirap nito para kay Doy. Mahigit dalawang taon na ang nakararaan nang pumanaw ang kanyang ama. Ngayon ang kanyang ina naman ang pumanaw. Parehong napakalungkot ng dalawang pagpanaw. Ngunit ang pagpanaw ngayon ng kanyang ina ay mukhang mas higit ang sakit. Ngayon higit kailan man naramdaman ni Doy ang pangungulila at pag-iisa. Ngayon higit kailan man kailangan niya ng makakasama sa pagharap sa mabigat na pagsubok na ito. Ngayon higit kailan man kailangan kong magpakatatag at maging malakas para sa kanya.

Kaya ako ngayon ay gising.

Basketball in the Philippines by BBC

2008-11-11T09:25:00.004+08:00

After the New York Times feature on the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry, here is another feature by another international press about basketball crazy Philippines!

My North Luzon Trip

2008-11-09T17:41:00.002+08:00

I must say that this is one of my most tiring trips. I traveled 6-7 hour trips four times to get from Manila to Baguio to Laoag to La Union and back to Manila. But this was a welcome trip as I was able to visit this part of the Philippines. Haven't really had the opportunity to go around Baguio, so I can't say much about it except that I liked its cool weather. Laoag is a quaint old town. Saw old buildings and kalesas. San Fernando, La Union is a busy city, whose seaside has lots of potential. However the people living near the area needs to be educated on how they should take care of their surroundings.

Undas

2008-11-02T11:23:00.001+08:00

Ginugunita
Alaala ng mga
mahal sa buhay

Done

2008-10-19T16:19:00.003+08:00

Hindi nagampan
Katungkulang inatas
Malayang wakas

Happy

2008-10-19T16:08:00.002+08:00

Pinaligaya
Nais kong manatili
Pag-ibig natin

The Lord Answered My Prayer

2008-10-17T17:41:00.002+08:00

Sorry for worrying too much. I know Lord that You are always taking care of me. And I just really have to take it one at a time...

Again and again, Lord, I will forever be grateful :)

Thought for the day

2008-10-15T20:04:00.003+08:00

This is from an SMS message sent early this year. In fact I have posted this in my blog last January, and am reposting this again. This time around, it's a different situation I am in. I am pursuing a dream, but it seems like the journey is becoming more difficult by the day. Oh Lord, please help me... enlighten me... is my dream meant for me? Is it worth pursuing?

If it's taking all your strength...
If it's killing your heart...
If it's making you bear too much pain...
and if it's making you ignore everything else...
make sure it's worth it,
otherwise...

let it go...

World Teachers' Day

2008-10-05T18:48:00.006+08:00

This day, October 5, is World Teachers' Day. It is held annually since 1994. This year is the 14th World Teachers' Day.

Teachers are the backbone for human development by helping develop the child's capacity and desire to learn (see UN's Message on 2008 World Teachers' Day). Critical to cite in UN's message for today's celebration is the commitment of teachers to quality education, for it is an "integral part of the efforts to reduce poverty and help ensure a better life" (see Manila Bulletin). Teachers are not only teachers, but also stewards of God in caring for children, even in the most difficult of circumstances (see Stewards of God and UN's Message on 2008 World Teachers' Day).

I've always had high regard for teachers. I admire their dedication to their vocation of educating the young, and even the old. I look up to my very own teachers, who have been a great part in molding me in the person that I am today. Maybe that is also the reason why I once became a teacher, and why I am in the business of helping teachers.

So, here is a special shoutout and thanks to the teachers I've met, my teacher friends, our teachers in the public schools, our mobile teachers and instructional managers, my teachers in the grade school, high school, college and graduate school, and to the special teachers of my life: my parents, my uncles and aunts, my grandparents, and Doy! I hope you continue to touch lives by the way you teach, live, and love.

Ateneo Bonfire

2008-10-02T14:21:00.003+08:00

Went to the Ateneo bonfire with Mel. Then we met up with Vic, who was there mga 4pm pa lang. Then met up with Doy at around 830pm (coding kasi).

We also got similar shirts from GetBlueFever that sold shirts at Kostka. Sayang Vic and I were not able to get the Heart of a Champion shirt, bilis naubos! Di bale balikan ko yun next week sa school.

Spent most of our time walking, taking pictures and meeting friends, and getting our feet muddy. May time that we just had to stay at the side of the stage dahil pagod na. But it was super fun...

Until I saw a photo of the bonfire circulating on the Internet! Bad taste talaga ito, and it got so many La Sallians reacting like crazy. Then after a few days, Fr. Ben Nebres, President of Ateneo, sent an apology letter to Bro. Armin Luistro, President of De La Salle. The idea came from an old Ateneo alumnus, who also apologized to Fr. Ben for the incident. Here is a copy of both letters:

##############################

#################
Letter of Fr. Nebres, SJ to Bro. Luistro, FSC
###############################################

2 October 2008

BROTHER ARMIN LUISTRO, FSC
President
De la Salle University System
2401 Taft Avenue
Manila

Re: Ateneo Bonfire

Dear Bro. Armin,

I would like to extend my deepest apology to you and to the La Sallian community for what some alumnus or student did at the Ateneo Bonfire, namely, write the names of the La Salle players on the wood. Unfortunately, none of us saw it ahead of time, because the wood pile was covered by a tarp against the rain until the time came to light it.

Despite our rivalries in sports, we are both committed to Christian values and what was done is certainly a violation of values we share.

Once again, my deepest apologies to you and to the La Sallian community. We are trying to find out who is responsible for the act.

Sincerely yours,

BIENVENIDO F. NEBRES, SJ
President

##############################

#######
Letter of Mr. Paredes to Fr. Nebres
#####################################

3 October 2008

Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ
President
Ateneo de Manila University

Dear Fr. Nebres,

I write this letter for two reasons. The first one is to own up to producing the materials with the names of the Green Archers and placing them prominently in the woodpile before the bonfire for all to see.

Secondly, I sincerely apologize to you for the queasy situation you are in as a result of the backlash it created.

While the nature of this letter is a personal apology to you, please feel free to extend it to parties you may deem fit to receive it.

Sincerely,

Jesse Paredes
HS'54, AB'58

Reflections on a Championship

2008-10-02T13:59:00.002+08:00

written by Mr. Simon Mossesgeld, former team manager of the Blue Eagles, and also a friend. Being a big Blue Eagle fan like him, I agree with his view about the team, how I believe the Blue Eagles would win on Sept. 25 (left pang-libre money with my sister in the morning of Sept. 25), and how the good Lord has blessed the Ateneo for the championships in basketball and swimming. Read on...

Reflections on a Championship
by Simon Mossesgeld

I watched the first game of the championship live right behind the bench and marveled, as I have many times throughout this season, at how this team is a team in the best tradition: unselfish, hard working, with great respect for one another, friends on and off the court. The players are largely unassuming. They do not strut about to let the world know how good they are or their team is. They just do their part and play their best together. This is what strikes me most about this team and I think it explains best its championship character. I could not watch the second game because I was teaching in a seminar but resolved to immediately proceed to the Gesu. I had texted Paolo Trillo that morning saying I would see the team in the Gesu. That is how confident I was.

Someone asked me while we were waiting for the team to arrive at the Gesu after the championship, “Sir, do you miss being team manager?” I realized that I did miss it a bit but much, much more than anything I was very happy for the team. I was happy about how the coaching staff and management (and the school) formed the players into men we could all be proud of. I did not taste a championship during my two-year tenure but it did not matter because Ateneo basketball is more than championships. It is about giving it your best. It is about forming men with the right principles and values. It is about gratitude for all that we have received. It is about community. It is about God and this team, like many teams before them, is all these. But I sense there is more in this team.

A friend texted me the next day that she saw me at the Gesu that evening looking as if I was in a trance. I guess I was in a trance-like state. I was deeply thankful for God’s love for his players, his team and his Ateneo. I was very quietly happy for the team, for my fellow Ateneans and for the school and was simply content to bask quietly in the happiness and the gratitude that filled the church that evening. This is the Ateneo I grew up in and have grown to love.

Tonight we will celebrate four champion teams—three in basketball and one in swimming. I once again thank God for his blessings.

The UAAP Coaches

2008-09-29T22:11:00.002+08:00

Got this picture from a friend. Not so sure what year this was taken. But it was about the time when Coach Norman Black (2nd row, middle) was coaching the San Miguel Beermen, while Franz Pumaren is one of the team's point guards (3rd from right). Magkasama pa sila sa San Miguel, my all-time favorite team sa PBA! Si Coach Norman has always been my all-time favorite coach. At ang all-time favorite player? Sorry, hindi yun si Franz Pumaren!

Medyo huli na ang post na ito. Natapos na ang usaping Black vs. Pumaren sa UAAP, at alam na natin kung sino ang wagi, at sino ang sawi! It was just great to find this picture again.

Hector Calma forever!

Ateneo-La Salle Game 2 Finals

2008-09-26T15:10:00.002+08:00

Prayer of a Sportsman

Dear Lord, in the battle that goes on through life
I ask but a field that is fair,
A chance that is equal with all in the strife,
A courage to strive and to dare;

And if should win, let it be by the code
With my faith and my honor held high;
And if I should lose, let me stand by the road,
And cheer as the winners go by.

And Lord, may my shouts be ungrudging and clear,
A tribute that comes from the heart,
And let me not cherish a snarl or a sneer
Or play any sniveling part;

Let me say, “There they ride, on whom laurel’s bestowed
Since they played the game better than I.”
Let me stand with a smile by the side of the road,
And cheer as the winners go by.

So grant me to conquer, if conquer I can,
By proving my worth in the fray,
But teach me to lose like a regular man,
And not like a craven, I pray;

Let me take off my hat to the warriors who strode
To victory splendid and high,
Yea, teach me to stand by the side of the road
And cheer as the winners go by.

-Berton Braley

===

I read in one of the posts in Multiply that losing with character and poise is as important as winning with honor" --- Ateneo has a lot to teach La Sallites and not just how to play good basketball. Very interesting. Despite heartbreaking losses of past seasons, Ateneo has been poised even in defeat. I remember that from the Game 3 of Season 69, when JC, Macky and Doug thanked the Ateneo supporters in Araneta despite losing to UST. In contrast to Pumaren when all he could do was to blame officiating and saying that the finals was a script. Sorry, a lot of people don't buy this!

And to the Blue Eagles, what a season it has been! Biggest thanks to Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Bacon Austria, Nonoy Baclao, Mike Baldos, Ryan Buenafe, Vince Burke, Justin Chua, Yuri Escueta, Tonino Gonzaga, Kirk Long, Jobe Nkemakolam, Jai Reyes, Eric Salamat, Nico Salva, Chris Sumalinog, Chris Tiu, coach Norman Black, and everyone who made this championship possible. It has been a memorable season and championship! Congratulations! Bonfire na!!!

PDI

Manila Bulletin 1

Manila Bulletin 2

UAAP Awards

2008-09-24T05:54:00.002+08:00

Lumabas na ang balita tungkol sa mga UAAP awardees sa artikulong ito mula sa Inquirer.

MVP: Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Ateneo)

Mythical 5:
Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Ateneo)
Jervy Cruz (UST)
Rico Maierhofer (DLSU)
Chris Tiu (Ateneo)
JV Casio (DLSU)

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Buenafe (Ateneo)

Sa Huwebes magaganap ang awarding ceremony. Sana kasabay na rin nito ang awarding sa CHAMPIONSHIP!

Ateneo vs. La Salle Game 1 Finals

2008-09-23T06:30:00.004+08:00

Di na ako nag-abala pang bumili ng tickets at nanood na lamang sa Moro Lorenzo Sports Complex ng laro, kasama ng mga kapwa Atenista.

Masaya ako na nanalo ang Blue Eagles sa unang laban sa finals. gRabeh ang nilaro ni Rabeh Al-Hussaini, ang sentro at isa sa mga nangungunang kandidato para sa Most Valuable Player Award. Ang kanyang 31 puntos ay naglagay sa kanya sa record books bilang player na nagtala ng pinakamalaking puntos sa isang finals game.

Maganda rin ang nilaro ni Baclao. Ang 7 shot blocks ay marami para sa isang laro. Humuhusay si Nonoy sa pagiging isang defensive player. At lumalabas na rin ang kanyang 'angas'. Minsan naman kelangan ang angas para maipakita sa kalaban na seryoso ka sa laro at gusto mong manalo.

Nabawasan ang playing minutes ng Team Captain na si Chris Tiu dahil sa foul trouble, kaya rin nadagdagan ang playing minutes ni Rabeh.

Magaling ang depensa ng Ateneo ngunit hindi masyadong maganda na nagtala ang Ateneo ng maraming turnovers. Buti na nga lang magaling ang depensa at hindi nakapuntos ang La Salle.

As usual gRabeh ang aking sigaw at pagka-hyper ko kahapon, lalo na tuwing nakakapuntos is Rabeh. Sobra akong natuwa sa pinakita niyang emotions. Kitang-kita sa kanya ang kagustuhang manalo para sa Ateneo community. Nagkaroon sya ng interview kamakailan lang, na maaaring magpaliwanag sa kanyang gumagaling na performance sa UAAP. Ang interview ay makikita rito.

At ang block at sigaw (mukhang sigaw kasi sa TV) kay Rico Maierhoffer... wala akong masabi. Ito ang angas!

Sa pagtatapos ng blog entry na ito, nais kong ibahagi ang nabasa kong nakatutuwang talata. Ito ay mula rito.

Yuri-ka! Salamat at after a long wait nasa cham-tiu-nship ulit ang Ateneo. This season is a really big rabeh-lation. Good job-e Blue Eagles. Bombahin nyo ang oping-sa ng La Salle with a jai-namite. Baldos-er their defense, always block-lao their shots, and continue zig-zags-ging to create fast burke points. Justin time for them to be black-ed out. Lets see if makaka-salva pa sila.

Phew..I think I'm going to have a buenafever because of all this heat. So bring home the bacon guys.

Dalawang araw pa at game 2 na. Tapusin na natin ito! OBF!

It's Ateneo vs. La Salle in the Finals!

2008-09-16T23:51:00.004+08:00

Makalipas ang 6 na taon, muli na namang maghaharap ang Ateneo at La Salle sa kampeonato ng UAAP. Though mas gusto ko sana na FEU ang kalaban, a championship match against the arch rival is always interesting. Ang tagal na pala ng rivalry na ito: seventy years! Panahon pa ito nung college ang lolo ko.

Sa UAAP, ito ang pang-apat na beses na maghaharap ang Ateneo at La Salle sa Finals. Nagkasagupa ang dalawang koponan noong 1988, 2001 at 2002. Nag-kampeon ang Ateneo noong 1988 at 2002, at ang La Salle naman noong 2001. Sino kaya ang magiging kampeon sa taong ito? Abangan!

Grabe ang fuss about the finals, as usual! At pahirapan na naman ang pagkuha ng tickets. Di na ko masyadong umaasa na makakapanood ng championship games live. Pero syempre, tuloy pa rin ang suporta. Tuloy-tuloy lang, Blue Eagles! OBF!

Ateneo wins over La Salle again

2008-09-07T21:54:00.005+08:00

I expected that La Salle will come out strong at this second round encounter with Ateneo. After all, this game is more important to them, for a win would mean that they will be in 2nd place and would have the twice to beat advantage. For Ateneo, on the other hand, there is really no pressure to win, for even if they lose, they will still be in 1st place. While many are saying that this will be a no bearing game for the Blue Eagles, the team thinks otherwise. After all, it's the rival team that they are battling. And all throughout the game, it could be seen which team wanted to win more. I was actually disturbed by a comment from the sportscaster from La Salle. I can't remember the exact words but she kind of said that Ateneo is on top only by a few points, and we (La Salle) are not giving our best yet... it's our destiny to win... My reaction is that if you are not giving your best, then you don't deserve to win. And the result of the game just proved that!

And I loved the halftime performance! Sayang lang hindi naipakita nang buo sa TV. Pero ito ang video (by kitaruna, from YouTube):

Note the arrow broken by the A! First time ang pang-ganti na ito, coz the other team has that 'arrow through the A' routine.

Oh I just love the Ateneo! On to the Final Four! OBF!

Striking statement

2008-09-04T20:13:00.003+08:00

"You know you are very bright. Just don't be lazy."

Kailangan pa talaga na sabihin ito sa akin bago ako matauhan. Ewan ko ba, palagi kong nakakalimutan ang mga kelangan kong dalhin at gawin. Mga simpleng mga bagay at gawain lang naman, pero nakakaligtaan ko. Haay. Sana talaga matuto na ako. Baka magsawa na ang mga taong gustong tumulong sa akin, lalo na ngayon na mas nagiging challenging ang work ahead. Please, Lord, help me!

===

Grabe kala ko naka-kalahati na ako sa aking thesis work, pero mga 1/3 pa lang pala! Up to this time nag-eevolve ang mga gagawin ko. I see naman the value of all this work. Hindi biro ang aking mga gagawin. So, Lord, again, please help me! I pray that I will have enough resources, time, strength, guidance, to do all the things that I have to do.

Thank you, Lord. At bahala ka na sa akin...

The newest Adidas endorsers

2008-09-01T19:06:00.006+08:00

The Ateneo Blue Eagles!

Actually, hindi lang sila ang endorsers. The De La Salle Green Archers are also endorsers of the popular sportswear. This is a scene from the autograph signing at the Adidas store. All 16 Blue Eagles were present in the event. I was surprised to see so many people at the store!

I lined up to have my poster autographed by the Blue Eagles.

What can I say? I'm a FAN! I've been a fan of the Blue Eagles since grade school. And this season was particularly special because this is not like the Blue Eagles that I was used to watch. I guess the basketball program is now reaping its fruits :)

This is now the autographed poster of the Blue Eagles.

Hail Mary Shots

2008-08-27T19:08:00.004+08:00

This video presents some of the reasons why Ateneo is called the "Hail Mary Team". I really can't forget the last play, because I watched the game live! Naaalala ko pa na halos maiyak ako nun.

Lapit na ng Final 4. More "Hail Mary's" for the Blue Eagles!

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-18T11:08:00.003+08:00

Your Birthdate: August 18

You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause.

You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too.

Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others.

You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress.

Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years

Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities

Your power color: Crimson red

Your power symbol: Snowflake

Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

=====

Birthday ko ngayon. Ang tanda ko na, malapit na ko lumagpas sa kalendaryo. Taos ang pasasalamat ko sa Panginoon sa napakaraming biyaya na naipagkaloob niya sa akin. Meron din akong ilang kahilingan na sana ay magkaroon ng katuparan, God willing. Magiging tahimik ang selebrasyong ito, kasama ng aking mga pinakamamahal sa buhay :)

Adidas Sports Apparel

2008-08-12T22:04:00.005+08:00

I really think that this is a good idea, featuring the hottest college basketball teams in the country and the fiercest of rivals (There's also another version featuring players from La Salle). From a marketing point of view, this is a good strategy. Both Ateneo and La Salle have strong following from their students and alumni, who have money.

I liked the jackets, and am seriously considering to buy one. I wonder which color to buy, blue or white?

Top architects, designers to build Gawad Kalinga’s first ‘Designer Village’ in Taguig

2008-08-11T08:38:00.001+08:00

This should be very interesting. One of my favorite firms, Recio+Casas, is involved in this project. Can't wait to see this!

===

TAGUIG CITY, August 10, 2008—At least 2,500 families residing at slum areas here are the beneficiaries of the Gawad Kalinga’s first “Designer Village” that features medium-rise housing village designed and constructed by topnotch architects, designers and engineers of the country.

During the launching Friday of the “Designer Village” at the NBC Tent at The Fort, GK founder Antonio Meloto said it is an unprecedented move that the country’s best talents have committed to design low-cost housing for the poorest of the poor.

“The launching of the GK Designer Village Campaign with Taguig as the first designer GK City will make history. For the first time, top architects, designers and builders of the Philippines have committed their priceless talents to make GK communities the canvass for their artistry and patriotism,” Meloto said.

Among those who will design the “Designer Village,” which will set the template of GK’s future housing communities, are Bong Recio of Recio+Casas Architects, Bobby Manosa of Francisco Mañosa & Partners, Jun Palafox of Palafox Associates, Edith Oliveros of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID), and Willy Cosculluela of Cultura Profetica.

These stalwarts in their respective fields will constitute the GK Board of Consulters for Design and will work together with top architects from United Architects of the Philippines, Philippine Institute of Architects, Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, Philippine Association of Landscape Architects and students and faculty from top architectural schools nationwide.

In explaining the plan for the “Designer Village,” Meloto disclosed that the squatter residents along the C5 road, from Petron to Caltex on the northbound side and from McKinley Road to Heritage Park on the southbound, will be the first beneficiaries of the village that will feature a combination of medium-rise condo-type housing, row housing and single detached housing.

“This time, we are upgrading the GK communities to further inspire our poor constituents to live a dignified life. We believe that by creating for them a beautiful environment, we can encourage the beautiful behavior in them,” he said.

For his part, Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga said the city government is one with GK in this joint undertaking.

“We are very happy that GK chose Taguig residents to benefit from its first ‘Designer Village.’ With the partnership between GK and the Taguig City government, housing the homeless can indeed be done,” the mayor said.

Aside from Tiñga, attendees of the GK “Designer Village” launch include Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Noli de Castro, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Las Piñas Mayor Vergel Aguilar, Pateros Mayor Joey Medina and HUDCC secretary general Lucille Ortile.

Among the spectators in the event were chief executives of Globe Telecommunications, ABS-CBN Foundation, Philips Philippines, PLDT Company and many others who acknowledged the vision of GK and pledged support in the construction of the “Designer Village.”

A social project of the Couples for Christ, GK now has 1,700 housing communities of rainbow-colored houses, manicured gardens and garbage-free surroundings.

With its new “888 Goal,” GK aims to house five million families by 2024. (Kris Bayos)

Ateneo vs. UST

2008-08-03T22:57:00.001+08:00

Gusto ko talaga mapanood ng live ang laro ng Ateneo at UST. Kasama kong nanood si Doy at si Cheska. Buti pinalad naman kaming makakuha ng Lower Box tickets sa Araneta (muntik na kami sa Upper B SRO!)! First time ko nakapanood nang ganun kalapit sa isang basketball game. Ganda ng view!

As always, masayang kasama ang aking kasintahan at kapatid sa ganitong mga okasyon. At mas napasaya ang aking panonood nang manalo ang Ateneo! Ang kapatid ko, kahit natalo ang team niya, ay mukhang masaya pa rin naman :)

Maganda ang pagtatapos na ito ng first round ng UAAP games para sa Ateneo. Sana tuloy-tuloy ang pagpanalo hanggang makaabot sa Championship!

Tagged by bananaspin - The Perfect Job

2008-07-27T12:31:00.004+08:00

I was tagged by bananaspin in her blog entry entitled "Employee Opportunity!!!". I haven't really thought about this before, so here's my attempt:

Maui Salang has had previous experience in various development-related work, particularly in the education and youth sector. Had also experience in training and events management, advocacy and social mobilization, and volunteerism. Though I am presently not seeking employment, an ideal job for me is one that will allow me to:

- teach and/or train
- plan and implement programs and projects for the development of Philippine education
- use information and communications technologies (ICT) for teaching/training and development
- coordinate and network with various education stakeholders
- travel to many different places

Moreover, I'd prefer to be working with an inspiring, role-model boss and mentor (katulad ni bananaspin), and with a positive and dynamic team. Of course I'd also like to work in an organization that empowers and will give me a reasonable compensation package and benefits.

Maui received liberal Catholic education from the Ateneo de Manila University, with an undergraduate degree of Economics and soon a master's degree in education, major in Information Technology Integration. She has received trainings on implementing formal and community education projects, use of ICT for content development and education, volunteer and training management, advocacy writing, as well as monitoring and evaluation. She had past jobs as a teacher, and program officer that handled various education-related projects.

===

Many of the things I have mentioned here are already satisfied by my current job. May slight problem lang dun sa organization at compensation.

But my present situation in my job, as it is, is okay. It's not perfect, but it's okay. I'm blessed to be able to do the job that I like and be compensated just enough.

Weight Gain

2008-07-26T13:26:00.004+08:00

7 years ago, I only weighed about a hundred pounds. Super payat ko talaga. So I also made an effort to gain weight. Hindi naman kasi maganda itsura ko then dahil mukha akong maysakit.

Pero may time na nag-overboard na yata ang weight gain. I have gained more than 30 pounds maximum in a span of about five to six years.

Waah! Bakit kaya ito nangyari?

Change of eating habits and lesser physical activity. Madalas ako ay nakaupo lang at nagco-computer o nag-iinternet. Dala na rin kasi ng trabaho.

And for the past 2 years, I have been making 'some' effort to lose weight.

Maybe I should spend less time using the Internet (like what I am doing now!) and spend more time biking :)

More about girls' weight gain at the article below:

NEW YORK—Girls and young women who devote much time to the Internet, get too little sleep or regularly drink alcohol are more likely than their peers to put on excess weight, a new study suggests.

The researchers, who followed more than 5,000 girls between 14 and 21 years old for a year, found that the more spare time girls spent on the Internet, the more their body mass index (BMI) increased.

Similar patterns were seen when the researchers looked at alcohol consumption and sleep. Too much alcohol and lack of sleep were linked to greater gains in BMI—a measure of weight in relation to height.

The findings, which were reported in The Journal of Pediatrics, add to the evidence implicating each of these three habits in promoting weight gain.

The effect of each habit on one’s weight may be small, but over time the pounds can add up, according to the researchers led by Dr. Catherine S. Berkey of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Findings

The study involved 5,036 girls and young women who were surveyed regarding the number of recreational hours per week they spent on the Internet, which ranged from one to five hours, to 16-plus hours, as well as how long they typically slept each night (anywhere from five hours or less, to nine hours or more) and how much alcohol they usually drank (ranging from none to two or more drinks per week).

In general, the researchers found that as Internet use climbed, so did BMI, particularly among girls younger than 18 years old.

When it came to sleep, those who clocked five hours or less tended to gain more weight than those who got a standard eight hours.

And girls and women who had two or more alcoholic drinks per week put on more pounds than those who drank the least.

The effects of these habits over one year were modest, Berkey’s team points out.

Over time

For example, a 19-year-old of average weight and height would gain four pounds if she were in the high-risk groups for Internet use, sleep and alcohol consumption.

The researchers, however, add that over time that could translate into significant weight change.

Spending hours on the Internet likely contributes to weight gain by taking time away from physical activity, according to Berkey’s team.

Lack of sleep may make people too tired to be active during the day; sleep deprivation also affects hormones and metabolism in a way that might promote weight gain.

Alcohol contains a significant amount of calories, and research suggests that people usually don’t make an adjustment for liquid calories by eating or drinking less throughout the rest of the day.

Reuters

Cycling is Fashionable

2008-07-25T18:45:00.000+08:00

Saw this post in one of the bicycling blogs that I am reading. The event is named Bikeosphere 2008 held last July 18 at Vancouver, Canada.

7 years

2008-07-08T08:00:00.000+08:00

Lord, thank you for blessing us with a beautiful and wonderful seven year relationship... :)

The Ateneo Basketball Team

2008-07-07T21:11:00.004+08:00

It's UAAP season once again, at muli, excited na naman ako na manood muli ng mga laro ng Ateneo.

Elementary pa lang ako ay fan na ako ng Ateneo. Mga early 90s yun. Those were the days na may pagka-talunan ang Ateneo team. Pero cheer pa rin ako sa kanila. Napakatindi nga ng school spirit. Nakakahawa. Talagang "Win or Lose it's the school we choose"!

Nang tumuntong na ako sa kolehiyo, dun na unti-unting nagsimula na i-improve ang basketball program ng Ateneo. Naging masigasig na sa pagsa-scout ng mga magagaling na players at nag-hire ng mga mahuhusay na coach. Unti-unting umakyat sa standings ang Ateneo. Nakatuntong sa Final Four. Nagkaroon ng runner up finish nung 2001. At nung 2002, ito ay nagbunga ng championship.

Pero makalipas ang ilang taon ay hindi na ulit nagchampion ang Ateneo. Umaabot naman sa Final Four, pero heartbreaking ang mga pagkatalo nung 2006 at 2007. At last year nga, may isang "big" Ateneo supporter na nagsabi na "we have to win." Kung baga, mukhang hindi na acceptable ang mga runner up finishes. Kelangan manalo ng championship.

At mukhang sineryoso nga ang statement ng Ateneo benefactor. Seems like scouting and training were really taken seriously. Ateneo may have the best line up this year, maybe better than the team that won the championship in 2002. The pre-UAAP league championships and the first game against La Salle tells a lot about this team. Ika nga sa isang artikulo, this team is built to win. And I believe so. I hope the team really wins the championship.

Go ATENEO! One Big Fight!

Potential Bicycle Cities in the Philippines

2008-07-06T09:16:00.000+08:00

Bicycle City has identified key locations to be "Bicycle Cities". Bicycle City, Philippines, could be located 50-100 miles from the following cities:

1. Manila
2. Butuan City
3. Zamboanga City
4. Batangas City
5. City of San Jose, Nueva Ecija

For more information, you may go to http://www.bicyclecity.com/Bicycle-City-Philippines/

Tour de France 2008 on Google Maps

2008-07-06T08:24:00.000+08:00

Explore Tour de France 2008 through Google Maps! Watch this video:
For more information, check out http://www.google.com/landing/tourdefrance2008/

All-Mountain Bike Frames

2008-07-03T14:56:00.008+08:00

With regards to buying a new bike frame, I gave further thought on it, and thought that maybe it would be more practical to buy an all-mountain bike frame. Here are some of the bikes that I like:

Moots Cinco - I really like but very expensive

Cannondale Rush Feminine 1

Jamis Dakar XCR Comp

Giant Anthem W

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 WSD

Places to see in Bacolod

2008-07-03T13:50:00.006+08:00

Gaston Ancestral House

San Sebastian Cathedral

The Ruins

Virgen Sang Barangay Chapel - where Maris and Ian tied the knot!

Lanca Perfume

2008-07-03T13:39:00.002+08:00

Lança menina, lança todo esse perfume
Desbaratina, não dá pra ficar imune
Ao teu amor que tem cheiro de coisa maluca
Vem cá meu bem, me descola um carinho
Eu sou nenem, só sossego com beijinho
Vê se me da, o prazer de ter prazer comigo

Me aqueça
Me vira de ponta cabeça
Me faz de gato e sapato
E me deixa de quatro no ato
Me enche de amor, de amor

Lança, lança perfume
Oooou, lança, perfume, lança perfume...

===

I soooo love Brazilian music!

Bike Frames I like

2008-06-29T19:06:00.006+08:00

I love my current Cannondale M2000 frame on the mountain bike that I have right now. It's an old school 14 year old frame, and it's a looker. Moreover, Doy used to own this frame, really took care of it, that's why it has lasted long enough that he was able to give it to me last year.

It is really a prized frame, so I'd like to preserve it, maybe put it on exhibit at Doy's house. So I'd like to buy a new frame for my mountain bike.

I looked through the websites of famous bike manufacturers and saw some frames that I like. Still don't know though if I could buy any of them soon. But hey, who knows?

Cannondale F1 Caffeine Feminine Giant Rincon w Trek 4500 WSD

Actually I also wanted the mountain bike frames from Independent Fabrication but thought they might be too expensive...

Anyway, I hope I could find the frame that I want, that would fit my budget :D

Know thyself

2008-06-27T20:43:00.001+08:00

Got this from Hanna's blog. The quiz can be found at http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

The results?

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.

Your views on education

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are full of energy and confidence. You are unpredictable, with moods changing as quickly as an ocean. You might occasionally be calm and still, but never for long.

Obama supports cycling!

2008-06-18T05:27:00.000+08:00

This photo, taken by Associated Press presents Illinois Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama riding a bicycle in Chicago. I thought this was interesting, because he was interested in cycling. Should he become president, this Trek bike will become Mountain Bike 1!

But what is more interesting is that his support for cycling becomes more concrete when he met with bike industry leaders and pledged his support for the bike industry by increasing funding for cycling and pedestrian projects if he wins. I have not known any president who has pledged this kind of support for cycling. I wish there were more leaders like him, especially here in the Philippines. More on this in the article below.

Article taken from Bikes Belong

Industry Leaders Meet with Senator Barack Obama

June 13, 2008

Last night, Tim Blumenthal, Bikes Belong's executive director, and other leaders in the bicycle industry met with Democratic presidential nominee-to-be Barack Obama at a fundraiser held at the Chicago home of SRAM vice president F.K. Day. It was an unprecented opportunity to make the case for bicycling with a presential nominee. Here is the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News account of the event.

Obama Pledges Funding for Cycling

CHICAGO, IL (BRAIN)—Barack Obama, in a private 20-minute meeting with members of the Bikes Belong board of directors, told them if he were elected president he would increase funding for cycling and pedestrian projects. And the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee also said he would support Safe Routes to Schools programs.

He also told them he seldom makes promises on what he would do if elected president, but that this was a promise he would keep. Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, laid out the industry’s position on boosting funding for cycling-related projects and for Safe Routes to Schools at the meeting.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) called the opportunity for industry leaders—both suppliers and retailers—to meet privately with a presidential candidate so early in a campaign for the White House was historic. “It’s important for this industry to understand that it is a force,” said Blumenauer, shortly after Obama left the event.

Stan Day, SRAM’s president, said that Obama “gets it.” He pointed out that Obama understands that bicycles can be part of a solution to issues as diverse as health care, obesity, energy and environmental policy. “He does his homework and he can connect the dots,” he said.

Of the estimated 160 guests who turned out for the event, Day estimated close to 60 represented the bicycle industry ranging from suppliers, retailers and advocates. Among the guests were Greg LeMond and his wife, Kathryn. Obama, in his remarks to the guests, thanked the LeMonds for attending.

Chris Kegel, owner of Wheel & Sprocket, a six-store chain of stores in the greater Milwaukee area, drove to Chicago early Thursday evening to attend the fundraiser at the home of F.K. Day and his wife, Leah. Day is vice-president of SRAM.

“I think it’s very important that we (the bicycle industry) were involved with this type of event,” Kegel said. Kegel added that he personally supports Obama and believes that Obama can help end the partisanship that divides the country.

Chicago retailer, JoAnne McSweeny, owner of Trek Bicycles on Michigan Avenue, said she has followed Obama’s career for years and supports Obama’s run for president. She, like many others, said Obama’s support for cycling is important for the nation’s future.

During a conversational 15-minute speech, Obama poked fun at himself telling the crowd that when he was photographed last weekend riding a bike with his children, he looked like Urkel. For those unfamiliar with Steve Urkel, he was the nerdy, bespectacled semi-hero on the long running sitcom “Family Matters.” The show was centered on an African-American middle class family living in Chicago.

Obama said he had no idea at the time he was riding with his children that he would soon meet with so many members from the industry. However, he pointed out, he knew photographers would be snapping photos of him on his bike, and that he wore his helmet to set an example for the kids.

Tom Petrie, president of Velimpex, who flew to Chicago Thursday afternoon, said he didn’t expect to hear Obama lay out a specific agenda for the bicycle industry. “However, it was refreshing to see somebody trying to unite the country instead of trying to divide it with wedge issues. I find it refreshing and, frankly, necessary,” Petrie said.

Anong sinabi ng bike namin sa bike na ito?

2008-06-15T17:08:00.001+08:00

Ang bike namin, agaw atensyon na dahil sa haba nya. Pero ang bike na ito, mahigit doble ang haba sa bike namin! Kung ang bike namin ay pang-dalawahan, ito pampamilya! Panalo!

Mula sa http://bikehugger.com/2008/06/you_and_your_brood.htm

Sa wakas!

2008-06-06T09:14:00.003+08:00

Ito ang larawan nina Ian at Maris nang sila ay kinasal noong Hunyo 1, 2008 sa lungsod ng Bacolod.

Sina Ian at Maris ay aking mga kaibigan. Kaklase ko si Maris noon sa kolehiyo. Sina Maris at Ian ay parehong miyembro ng Youth for Christ (YFC).

Naging saksi ako sa kanilang "love story" nang ito ay nag-uumpisa pa lang. Si Maris ay napaka-espesyal na tao, at bilang kanyang kaibigan, hiniling ko na ang makatuluyan ni Maris ay isang mabuting lalaki. Nakita ko naman kay Ian na mahal na mahal niya si Maris, kaya boto na ako sa kanya! :)

Mahaba-haba din ang kanilang "engagement" (mga 8 taon yata), kaya, sa wakas, ay nauwi din ito sa kasalan. Ako ang isa sa mga pinakamasayang tao sa pangyayaring ito, kaya hindi ko pinalagpas na ma-"witness" ang kanilang pag-iisang dibdib.

Ang ilan sa mga larawan ng aking biyahe sa Bacolod ay nasa http://picasaweb.google.com/mauisalang/MarisIanSWedding

Will this ever happen in the Philippines?

2008-06-05T10:46:00.001+08:00

From Inquirer.net

Cash, bikes, bus passes offered for Canada's gas-guzzlers

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:47:00 06/05/2008

OTTAWA -- Canada launched an incentive program on Wednesday to rid its roads of old gas-guzzling cars and trucks, urging citizens to trade them in for free bicycles, bus passes, or $300 cash.

The National Vehicle Scrappage Program will offer these incentives to people who retire their 1995 or older model vehicles, and hopefully turn to more environmentally-friendly transportation, the government said.

"We know Canadians want to do their part to help clean up the air we breathe," Environment Minister John Baird said in a statement.

"That's why we are launching a national program to get Canadians's smog-causing gas-guzzlers off the road."

Of the 18 million cars and trucks on Canada's roads, about five million were manufactured before 1996, when new tougher emissions standards were introduced.

These pre-1996 models produce about 19 times more air pollutants than newer cars and trucks, said Baird.

And although they make up less than one-third of vehicles on the road, older cars generate as much as two-thirds of the smog-forming pollutants caused by personal vehicle use, he said.

The government has committed $92 million (Canadian, US) over four years to implement the program, which is to be run by a national not-for-profit organization.

A rebate on the purchase of a new car or a membership in a car-sharing program will also be offered as incentives.

We Lost our House

2008-05-19T10:22:00.003+08:00

May 16, 2008, around 5:30pm

The beams of the 3rd floor of this building broke, resulting to the fall of its ceiling, the damage of its terrace and the stairs of the building. The fall of the ceiling caused injury of two residents and a death of an 11-year old boy.

This building is the place where my family and I live for five years now. We availed of one unit at the second floor on a rent-to-own scheme. After this incident, our family does not plan to go back to live there anymore. The damage of the building is caused by structural defects.

Thankfully my mom and my sister did not get hurt from this incident. Upon hearing about this, I was at Antipolo on a retreat. Had to leave from the retreat to attend to this very pressing concern.

As of the moment the building is cordoned and we are still waiting for engineers to inspect the building's safety, if it will be safe for us to get our things. My mom and my sister only got some clothes and important papers, and most other important things are left at the building. Hopefully we can come back there soon to get our things.

God is really good because he is really taking care of us and have provided for us in this time of need. We found a place to stay temporarily at my grandfather's house. We also found a new apartment where we'll be moving in a few days. And now more than ever I felt the love of my family and friends.

Cruiser Bike

2008-05-15T22:00:00.006+08:00

Cruiser bikes are balloon-tired bikes with heavy duty frames, has simple mechanicals and a coaster brakes. These bikes are suited for riding on flat, sandy beaches, which is why they are also called "Beach cruisers." It was America's standard bike from the 1930s up to the 1950s. Cruiser bikes have also been the inspiration of early edition mountain bikes of the late 70s/early 80s.

Schwinn, one of the older and popular bike companies, produced the original cruiser bikes. I chanced upon a classic cruiser at the 10th Tour of the Fireflies. Here is a photo of the bike:

And here is another cruiser bike, which I also saw at the exhibit, but made by Murray:

Cruiser bikes were also used in the "Fooled by a Smile" music video by the Swing Out Sister:

My boyfriend also made some project cruiser bikes. He bought the frame and used old parts to build this bike

By the way, he is selling this for Php 4,000. More details about this bike at this link. If anybody's interested you may call or send an SMS to 09192558266.

The 10th Tour of the Fireflies

2008-04-22T20:06:00.002+08:00

From GMA News

This page requires a higher version browser
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Mabuhay ang Firefly Brigade!

My Generation's Kind of Music

2008-04-08T19:34:00.002+08:00

Two nights ago, I watched the Swing Out Sister concert.

It was nice to know that the Andy and Corinne duo is still popular in the Philippines. Puno ang Araneta ha! And the audience was mostly young professionals whom I think grew up with their music. It is amazing how almost all the audience sang their songs, at least those from the Best of SOS album.

I really had a fun time. Parang may hangover pa yata. Hehe.

By the way, I also met and greeted them last Saturday at Megamall :)

What is this?

2008-03-02T22:04:00.000+08:00

It's a GUITAR! It is made out of bike parts. Looks more like an art piece than a musical instrument. Sadly I wasn't able to try playing it, as it is quite heavy. Really looks interesting!

2008-02-18T08:52:00.000+08:00

RECLAIMING OUR HUMANITY

MASS FOR JUN LOZADA

LA SALLE GYMNASIUM, GREENHILLS

17 FEBRUARY 2008

On this Second Sunday of Lent, during which we are asked to reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, I wish to touch on three themes that have to do with our moral transformation as a people: first, Ascertaining Credibility; second, Rediscovering our Humanity; and third, Witnessing to the Truth. In so doing, I hope to invite all of you to reflect more deeply on how we, as a nation, might respond to the present political crisis in which our identity and ethos, our convictions and integrity, in fact, who we are as a people, are at stake.

I. ASCERTAINING CREDIBILITY

Jun, as Sen. Miriam Santiago has grilled you to ascertain your credibility (or was it to undermine your credibility?), allow me to raise some important questions to consider in the very process of discerning your credibility. Allow me to do so by drawing on my own counseling experience.

Very often, a young rape victim initially suppresses his or her awful and painful story, indeed wills to forget it, in the hope that by forgetting, he or she can pretend it never happened. But very often, too, there comes a point when concealing the truth becomes unbearable, and the desperate attempts to supposedly preserve life and sanity become increasingly untenable.

At this point the victim of abuse decides to seek help. But even after having taken this step, the victim, devastated and confused, will tell his or her story with much hesitation and trepidation. It should be easy to imagine why. In telling the truth, one risks casting shame on himself or herself, subjecting oneself to intense scrutiny and skepticism, and jeopardizing one’s safety and those of his or her loved ones, especially when one dares to go up against an older or more powerful person.

Similarly, it is easy to imagine why Jun would initially refuse to challenge the might of Malacanang. Who in his or her right mind would accuse Malacanang of crimes against our people and implicate the First Family in a sordid tale of greed and corruption, knowing that by doing so, one endangers one’s life and the lives of his or her loved ones? We are, after all, living in dangerous times, where the government has not hesitated to use everything in its power to keep itself in power, where it has yet to explain and solve the numerous cases of extra-judicial killings.

But Jun is in his right mind. His story rings true especially in the face of the perils that he has had to face. And by his courage, Jun has also shown that it is not only that he is in his right mind; his heart is also in the right place.

Hence, my personal verdict: Jun, I believe that you are a credible witness. And if hundreds have gathered here this morning, it is probably because they also believe in you. Mga kapatid, naniniwala ba kayo kay Jun Lozada? Naniniwala ba kayo sa kanyang testimonya? Kung gayon, palakpakan po natin ang Probinsyanong Intsik, si Mr. Jun Lozada.

Jun, we hope that by our presence here, you may find some consolation. Pope Benedict XVI writes that “con-solatio” or consolation means “being with the other in his or her solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” Jun, be assured that your solitude is no longer isolation as we profess our solidarity with you. Hindi ka nag-iisa. We are committed to stay the course and to do our best to protect you and your family and the truth you have proclaimed.

II. REDISCOVERING OUR HUMANITY

What makes Jun a credible witness to us?

I think Jun is credible not simply by virtue of his being an eyewitness to the unmitigated greed of some of our public officials. Perhaps more importantly, Jun is credible because he has witnessed to us what it means to be truly human.

Which leads me to my second theme: What does it mean to be human? How might we rediscover our humanity?

Allow me to quote Pope Benedict XVI, who in his latest encyclical, Spe Salvi, has written: “the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life becomes a lie. . . For this … we need witnesses—martyrs …. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day.”

Our Holy Father concludes, “the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity.”

Isn’t this the reason we emulate our martyrs: Jose Rizal, Gomburza, Evelio Javier, Macli-ing Dulag, Cesar Climaco and Ninoy Aquino? They have borne witness for us what it means to be truly human—to be able to suffer for the sake of others and for the sake of the truth.

I remember Cory recalling a conversation she had with Ninoy while they were in exile in Boston. Cory asked Ninoy what he thought might happen to him once he set foot in Manila. Ninoy said there were three possibilities: one, that he would be rearrested and detained once more in Fort Bonifacio; two, that he would be held under house arrest; and three, that he would be assassinated.

“Then why go home?” Cory asked.

To which Ninoy answered: “Because I cannot allow myself to die a senseless death, such as being run over by a taxi cab in New York. I have to go home and convince Ferdinand Marcos to set our people free.”

Witnessing to one’s deepest convictions, notwithstanding the consequences, is the measure of our humanity. Proclaiming the truth to others, whatever the cost, is the mark of authentic humanity.

Jun, we know you have feared for your life and continue to do so. But in transcending your fears for yourself and your family, you have reclaimed your humanity. And your courage and humility, despite harassment and calumniation by government forces, embolden us to retrieve and reclaim our humanity tarnished by our cowardice and complicity with sin in the world. You have inspired us to be true to ourselves and to submit to and serve the truth that transcends all of us.

III. WITNESSING TO THE TRUTH

This leads us to our third and last theme: witnessing to the truth. In his encyclical, Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII exhorts that it is the fundamental duty of the government to uphold the truth: “A political society is to be considered well-ordered, beneficial and in keeping with human dignity if it grounded on truth.” Moreover, the encyclical explains that unless a society is anchored on the truth, there can be no authentic justice, charity and freedom.

Every government is therefore obliged to serve the truth if it is to truly serve the people. Its moral credibility and authority over a people is based on the extent of its defense of and submission to the truth. Insofar as a government is remiss in upholding the truth, insofar as a government actively suppresses the truth, it loses its authority vested upon it by the people.

At this juncture, allow me to raise a delicate question: At what point does an administration lose its moral authority over its constituents?

First, a clear tipping point is the surfacing of hard evidence signifying undeniable complicity of certain government officials in corruption and injustice, evidence that can be substantiated in court.

Hence, during the Marcos Regime, the manipulation of Snap Election results as attested to by the tabulators who walked out of the PICC was clear evidence of the administration’s disregard for and manipulation of the collective will of the people in order to remain in power..

During the Erap Administration, the testimony of Clarissa Ocampo, claiming that Pres. Erap had falsified Equitable Bank documents by signing as Jose Velarde, was the smoking gun that triggered the rage of our people.

Allow me to respond to the same question by pursue an alternative track of argument: an administration loses it moral authority over its people when it fails in its fundamental duty to uphold the truth, when it is constituted by an ethos of falsehood. When a pattern of negligence in investigating the truth, suppressing the truth and harassing those who proclaim the truth is reasonably established, then a government, in principle, loses its right to rule over and represent the people.

Regarding negligence: Do the unresolved cases, such as the the failed automation of the national elections, the fertilizer scam, the extra-judicial killings, and the “Hello, Garci” scandal, constitute negligence on the part of the GMA Administartion to probe and ferret out the truth?

Regarding covering-up the truth: Does the abduction of Jun Lozada and the twisting and manipulation of his narrative by Malacanang’s minions constitute concealment of the truth? Was the padlocking of the office of Asst. Gov’t Counsel Gonzales who testified before the Senate regarding the North Rail project anomaly an instance of covering-up the truth?

Regarding the suppression of the truth: Does the issuance and implementation of E.O. 464, which prevents government officals from testifying in Senate hearings without Malacanang’s permission, constitute suppression of the truth? Was the prevention of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Senga and six other officers from testifying before the Senate with regard the “Hello, Garci” scandal tantamount to a suppression of the truth? Was disallowing Brig. Gen. Quevedo, Lt. Col Capuyan and Lt. Col. Sumayo from appearing before the Lower House an instance of hindering the truth from surfacing?

And regarding harassment of those who proclaim the truth: Are the abduction of Jun Lozada and the decision to court-marshall Gen. Gudani and Col. Balutan for disregarding Malacanang’s order not to testify before the Senate examples of punishing those who come forth to tell the truth?

By conflating one’s responses to all these questions does one arrive not at hard evidence showing culpapility on the part of some government officials, but a ghestalt, an image which nonetheless demands our assessment and judgment. I invite all of you then to consider these two methods of evaluating and judging the moral credibility of any government, the moral credibility of our present government.

Allow me to end with a few words about an Ignatian virtue, familiaritas cum Deo. To become familiar with God involves the illumination of the intellect, coming to know who God is and what God wills. But it also involves the conversion of the affect, the reconfiguration of the heart. Becoming familiar with God entails trasforming and conforming my thinking, my feeling and my doing in accordance to the Lord’s, which can only be the work of grace.

Familiarity with God thus entail rejoicing in what God delights—the truth; abhoring what God detests—falsehood; being pained by what breaks the heart of God—the persecution of truth-seekers. Familiary with God means sharing the passion of God for the truth and the pathos of God whenever the truth and the bearers of truth are overcome by the forces of the lie.

On this Second Sunday of Lent, as we contemplate the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Horeb, we pray that our hearts and minds be so transfigured and so conformed to the mind, heart and will of the Jesus, our way, our life, and our truth.

May the Lord bless and protect you, Jun, and your family. May the Lord bless and guide us all into the way of truth. Amen.

We will miss you, Father!

2008-02-03T13:33:00.000+08:00

I remember having interviewed Fr. Totit for an article about him in the parish newsletter (see our picture just right above this paragraph). He was just about new in the parish and will be celebrating his birthday then. For me it had been an interesting encounter, because I got to know a little more this priest who was giving very good homilies during weekday masses. Well, he also says mass during Sundays, but not usually during 6:00am (my schedule of service), which was often presided by our parish priest.

The parishioners love him! Bukod kasi sa magaling mag-homily, super bait pa nito. He will find time to accommodate you even if his schedule is busy, or even if he's already tired. Hindi maselan or maarte. Magaling siya makisama. I see in him that he lives out his being a priest and missionary.

I will always be grateful to Fr. Totit for being a friend to me, for listening to me, and for his "fatherly" and friendly advices and guidance. I was so glad to know that while I was discerning about an important life choice, there was someone who shared with me the same sentiments as I did. I was sad about him leaving our parish. But I was also happy for him, because he will become a blessing to more people in his new community.

Our family was fortunate to have him visit our house after his last street mass in our community (see first 2 pictures above).

Thank you, Fr. Totit! We'll miss you :)

Another SMS message

2008-02-02T13:47:00.000+08:00

Life provides us with many options...

Go on or give up,

Hold on or let go,

Stay or leave,

But it's comforting to know

that God remains faithful whichever way we go...

Jamaica Farewell

2008-01-11T16:23:00.000+08:00

Bakit ba hindi agad nagregister sa utak ko ang ibig niyang sabihin nung kantahan niya ako nito?

JAMAICA FAREWELL

Down the way where the nights are gay
And the sun shines daily on the mountain top
I took a trip on a sailing ship
And when I reached Jamaica
I made a stop

But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town

Down at the market you can hear
Ladies cry out while on their heads they bear
'Akey rice, salt fish are nice
And the rum is fine any time of year

But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town

Sounds of laughter everywhere
And the dancing girls swaying to and fro
I must declare my heart is there
Though I've been from Maine to Mexico

But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town

Down the way where the nights are gay
and the sun shines daily on the mountain top
I took a trip on a sailing ship
And when I reached Jamaica
I made a stop

But I'm sad to say I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town

An SMS message that struck me

2008-01-10T07:21:00.000+08:00

If it's taking all your strength...
If it's killing your heart...
If it's making you bear too much pain...
and if it's making you ignore everything else...
make sure it's worth it,
otherwise...

let it go...

A song for the coming New Year

2007-12-30T16:00:00.000+08:00

Clara's Eyes
Side A

Someday
This world will be a better place to stay
Oh, I believe someday
All our hopes and dreams
Will come to pass away

Chorus:
I believe that through the sun that’s been shinin’
All the stars at night will agree
And when the mornin' comes
There's light of hope
Will shine it's way to all our hearts
I believe, for I see it in Clara’s eyes

Someday
We will hear the children's laughter in the air
Oh I believe someday
We will have a taste of heaven
In this world where we stay

Chorus:
I believe that through the sun that’s been shinin’
All the stars at night will agree
And when the mornin' comes
There's light of hope
Will shine its way to all our hearts
I believe, for I see it in Clara’s eyes

Bridge:
If we can just see the hope in a child’s eyes
(Clara’s eyes)
All the hopes and dreams
(Can easily be foreseen
By those who's faith in Him)
If we just believe

Chorus:
I believe that through the sun that’s been shinin’
All the stars at night will agree
And when the mornin' comes
There's light of hope
Will shine its way to all our hearts
I believe, for I see it in Clara’s eyes
(Clara’s eyes)
I believe, for I see it in Clara’s eyes
I believe, for I see it in Clara’s eyes

Ending:
I believe that there is hope
I believe that there is love
I believe His light will shine in every generation
(repeat till fade)

Doy's Christmas Gift

2007-12-28T15:52:00.000+08:00

Doy's Christmas gift to me is a commuter bike. Frame is a second hand, old school GT Palomar, single speed! It's light (I think I can carry it while crossing pedestrian overpasses!) and rides quite fast. I think I travel faster here than with my mountain bike. Had no problem climbing Jones Bridge (maybe because I'm so used to the climb. Pero kung clim all the way na parang Maarat on single speed baka di ko pa kaya!). I enjoyed riding it from Balut, Tondo to SM Mall of Asia.

Maybe I should try bike commuting! Hehe

Share-a-Gift Ride

2007-12-28T14:24:00.000+08:00

This year, I had promised myself to celebrate Christmas more simply and meaningfully. So when the Firefly Brigade organized this Share-a-Gift ride, I was excited to join, and had to kulit Doy to join also. The event was about gift giving to the less fortunate, specifically those who live in "karitons", who are, like bikers, are mobile. It was truly a privilege to be part of this event, and gave more meaning to my pursuit of cycling.

I want to share with you what Doy had written about the event. Very touching...

First off I would like to congratulate the firefly brigade for organizing this very meaningful and heart-tugging ride. It makes me proud to be:

1. A part of this year's christmas share-a-gift ride,
2. Riding beside some of the best bikers in the country
3. A Filipino (there is hope yet for this country)
4. A cyclist
5. A mountain biker (PMTB rules)

For the others who were not able to make it, hope to see you next year and in other Firefly events.

Let me share with you guys a very unique experience i got in this ride. The world is indeed very small, so small in fact that the odds of serendipity are quite high.

When we rode last saturday, I saw a family I once stayed with in my college liberation theology class. It was in the second semester of my last school year in Ateneo, students under the theology 141 class of the late Fr. George Gorospe were required to undergo a 3 day immersion program some of the "extremely sheltered" students dreaded this as it meant really going way beyond their comfort zone specially for those destined for urban poor and fisherfolk communities. Having grown up in Tondo, I could fairly say that I had my share of exposure to poverty but being a spectator during your daily commute is a far cry from being immersed in the experience of people specially those living at the edge of their means.

My groupmates as well as another group from another theology 141 class were sent to Nueva Ecija in an Aeta Resettlement site near Fort Magsaysay. We spent a weekend there living with the people in the community. Life was simple there, they had a beautiful tract of land complete with a river and a small waterfall just up stream. However the lack of arrable land and a stable source of livelihood meant that the community could not self-sustain. Unlike the time before Mt. Pinatubo, the Aeta communities of Zambales was able to live in a self-sufficient community and they rarely needed to wander into the busy metropolis as much of their needs were met within the community. Pinatubo changed all of that, coupled with the inability of government to provide a stable means of livelihood (even livelihood training) the Aetas would often travel to Manila in search of whatever they could ask for especially during the holidays. During my immersion, I had a long sunset conversation with my foster father in the community and he said to me that such was their fate, every Christmas they would try to hitch a ride all the way to Manila to solicit what they could in the streets.

I left Nueva Ecija back then with a heavier burden knowing that I would come back to Manila to live a comfortable life that my father has built up for me. Don't get me wrong, I love what my dad had strived for, he literally sacrificed half his life abroad on-board a lonely ship sailing port to port and missing many of his family's notable moments to ensure that my mom and myself could live comfortably. However one must realize that no all people have the same breaks in life as others and while it is the duty of every generation to build a better one for the next, not everyone is privy to the same opportunities.

I took home one very important reminder from that theology class immersion..."live simply, so others may simply live." Unfortunately the promise of a great career and the potential to have what you want in life has some how jaded me over the last couple of years. Seven years down the line, I am again reminded by a familiar face I meet in the Share-a-gift ride of the firefly brigade of what I took home from my immersion in Nueva Ecija.

pahiram ng photo gerard!!!

I guess, I am just as thankful as the families blessed by this year's ride. particularly because it made me realize the value of why I am riding my bike. To quote from H.G. Wells, "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." and Gerard's picture below says it all...

Mabuhay ang brigada, mabuhay ang reboluSSyon.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Awitin para kay Fr. Ronald

2007-12-05T14:36:00.000+08:00

Ito ang awit na nilikha para sa ika-15 anibersaryo ng aming kura paroko na si Fr. Ronald Macale

===

PARI NG SAMBAYANAN

Intro: AM7 - DM7

Stanza Chords: AM7 - DM7 (2x) C#m7 - F#m7- Bm7 - E7sus E

Tinawag ka sa misyon

Na ilapit ang Simbahan sa tao

Upang ipadama ang pag-asa’t pag-ibig ng Diyos

Isang sinumpaang tungkulin

Na ginabayan ng dalangin

Ang maging tapat na lingkod ng Kanyang kawan

Refrain Chords: DM7 - C#m7 (3x) F#m - Bm7 - E

Salamat at nariyan ka

Sa ginhawa, lungkot at saya

Aming ama, pastol at kaibigan

Ikaw ay pari ng sambayanan

Inihandog ang buong sarili

Upang ang lahat ay mapabuti

Sa isip, sa damdamin, sa gawa at sa salita

Sambit sa bawat panalangin

Ang patnubay iyong tanggapin

Mula sa mahal na Diyos na muling nabuhay

Our Bike!

2007-10-30T17:44:00.000+08:00

As Doy had said, "This is our bike!" For it doesn't make sense to ride this bike alone! It is indeed a different experience riding this bike, especially for me, since I'm riding at the back. I just had to let go and let the captain (Doy) take control. Trying it out for the first time, I must say that the ride is sweet! :)

Mahal na Mahal

2007-10-21T15:33:00.000+08:00

Originally sung by Archie D. and revived by the Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez

Intro: F-Am7-Gm7-C7sus-C7

F-Am7-Gm7-C7sus

FM7

Kung may taong dapat na mahalin

F7 Bb
Ay walang iba kundi ikaw

Gm7 C7
Wala ng ibang makakapigil pa sa akin

FM7 F7
Binuhay mo muli ang takbo at tibok ng puso

Bb
Sa iyong pagmamahal

Gm7 C7sus C7
Ang buhay ko'y muling nag-iba, napuno ng saya

Gm7 Dm7 Am7
Sa lahat ay di maari di maaring iwan

Gm7 Dm7 Am7
Wala ng makakapigil kahit na bagyo man

Gm7 Dm7 Am7
Pa'no kung ikaw na mismo kusang lilisan

Bb C7sus
Pa'no ba?

F
Kung mawalay ka sa buhay ko?

Am7
Kung pag ibig mo ay maglaho?

Gm7 C7sus C7
Pano na kaya ang mundo?
F
Kung sa oras na di ka makita?

Am7
Kung ika'y napakalayo na?

Gm7 C7sus C7
May buhay pa kaya to'ng puso?

Bb A7
Yan lang ang maaari natin sadyang matatanggap

Dm7
Habang ako'y may buhay

G
Mahal na mahal kita

Gm C7sus
Higit pa sa iniisip mo

Prayer for the coming Elections

2007-10-16T11:33:00.000+08:00

Mahal naming Ama,
Ikaw ang Panginoon ng bawat isa, ng aming bansa, at ng aming pamayanan.

Nagpapasalamat kami sa biyaya ng demokrasya, at pagbibigay sa amin ng pagkakataon upang bigyang tugon ang iyong tawag.

Para sa nakararami sa amin, ang karapatang bumoto.
Para naman sa mga kandidato, ang hangaring makapaglingkod sa Iyo at sa kapwa.

Hangad namin, Panginoon,
ang isang maganda at maayos na pamayanan,
Kung saan naitataguyod ang katarungan at karapatang pantao,
Napapahalagahan ang dangal ng kasal at pamilya,
At tumutungo sa tunay na katiwasayan at kaunlaran.

Nawa'y kaming lahat, ano man ang estado namin sa buhay, ay maging kabahagi Iyong kaharian sa pamamagitan ng pagiging mga tapat Mong lingkod sa daigdig na ito.

Ito ang aming samo’t dalangin
Nang may buong tiwala sa Iyong kakayahan
Sa tulong ng Birheng Maria na aming Ina,
At ng lahat ng mga banal na nagtaguyod ng katarungan,
Sa pamamagitan ng Iyong anak na si Jesus, na aming Tagapagligtas.

Amen.