TRAVEL LIGHT

Maia, our greatest Valentine gift

On February 14th our baby girl Himaya Amarantha “Maia” will be celebrating her first birthday. How time flies fast. It was just like yesterday when our Maia was just a small bundle of joy. Today she just took her first five-steps all by herself. Maia is the greatest valentine gift my wife and I ever had. To my baby Maia, on your first birthday I dedicate this song Forever Young, written by Bob Dylan and sung by Joan Baez, two of my all time favorite musicians.
	Forever Young May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true, May you always do for others And let others do for you. May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous, May you grow up to be true, May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.		May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.

BALAHIBONG PUSA

Mahilig mag-alaga ng mga hayop ang nanay ko. Sa ngayon may 9 na pusa siyang alaga sa bahay. Hindi ito mga Siamese o Burmese Cats, mga lahing Pusakal (pusang kalye) ang mga ito. Kaya hindi mga pangalang pang pretty-tweetum-pussy ang bininyag naming, mga pangalan nila kundi mga ordinaryong pangalan lang. Yung mga pangalang naririnig mo kung saan saan. Mukhang enjoy naman sila sa mga pangalang ibininigay namin sa kanila. Mabalahibo ngunit makulay ang kwento ng mga pusa sa bahay namin.

Ito ang kwento nila.
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That’s what friends are for

Today, a friend of mine sent me this email. It’s not the usual so-so “inspirational friendship themes” but a mirthful yet real face of friendship that is devoid of any hypocritical finesse.

Here is a series of promises that really speaks to true friendship:

When you are sad -
I will help get you drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard
who made you sad.

When you are blue -
I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

When you smile -
I will know you finally got laid.

When you are scared -
I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

When you are worried -
I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be and
to quit whining.

When you are confused -
I will use little words.

When you are sick -
Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don’t want
whatever you have.

When you fall -!
I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

This is my oath … I pledge it till the end.

Why? You may ask. Because you are my friend

Send this to 10 of your closest friends, then get depressed because
you can only think of two and one of them isn’t speaking to you right now
anyway.

Remember:

A good friend will help you move.
A really good friend will help you move a body.

A MINDANAW TRAVELOGUE

After more than ten years in Manila I have decided to move back and work in Mindanaw. After being burnt out in a dog-eat-dog city life, to be back to the land of my birth is not only a respite but also a pilgrimage of sorts. Amidst the bad portrayal and dreadful projection of Mindanaw (yes it is spelt traditionally with a W and not an O), it remains a paradise for me.

I’m now working with an International NGO that is implementing humanitarian projects in war torn areas of Mindanaw. I find self-fulfillment in my job not only for its humanitarian cause but also for the traveling that it asks of me. My job requires me to travel to war-torn areas in Central Mindanao. This constant traveling gives me an opportunity to reacquaint myself to the paradise I once knew and also to situate myself to the realities of war that has ravaged the land of promise for a long time.

Since I am now into blogging, I have decided to share my travels to the blogging world. I would like to share my travels in Mindanaw especially to my countrymen, those who still have to know a lot about Mindanaw. To quote G.K. Chesterton, “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land”.

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