TRAVEL LIGHT

One of Bambit‘s Nikon D60 study on Portraiture, with her favorite model, Ms. Himaya Amarantha K. Gaerlan.

The greatest Valentine gift Vikki and I will always have is our baby Maia. Our little angel Himaya Amarantha, was born on February 14, 2004.

Here is a collage of Maia’s portraits taken today, February 14, 2009, her Fifth Birthday. Photos were taken by her mommy with her new Nikon D60.

I felt very much blessed, for the past week saw Lady luck smiling upon us:

1) I received the news of my being hired for a new Job. At last, after 6 months of vegetating in a sedentary existence, I will now be back to the regular working man regimen starting Monday.

2) After almost three months of waiting, I just got my Supreme Council Order of DeMolay Active Member’s Collar and Jewel.

3) Bambit finally was able to buy the Nikon D60 of her dreams. She got it for a bargain price, thanks to Marlon.

4) My Stepson Xavier’s UPCAT pending case was finally resolved. He now has his UP Student Number and is assigned to UP Baguio.

5) My Baby Maia is celebrating her 5th Birthday today Valentine’s Day.

We will all be together as a family celebrating Maia’s Birthday and Xavier’s UPCAT passing. And this will be documented in our memories and captured on stills by Bambit’s Nikon D60.

I kneel at the Tesselated Border of the Mosaic Pavement, thanking the GAOTU for the manifold blessings that we received. Those blessings which we receive by a faithful reliance on Divine Providence.

I hope and pray that there will be more luck and blessings to come to last us a lifetime.

Last Sunday, Bambit, our little girl Maia and Ate Bibing went for a morning walk at Nayong Pilipino or whatever is left of it.

It was a stroll cum photo-shoot sortie. While Bambit was looking for picture-perfect-subjects, Maia called her up and said, “look mommy, look, it’s a MASON.” Maia found a word “MASON” chiseled on the road cement (inset photo).

Maia pronounces the word Mason as MAAH-SOON, the first time she read the print “MY DAD IS A MASON” at the back of one of her t-shirts. And yes, she recognizes Masonic symbols like the ubiquitous Square and Compasses, and gave all of them, including Masonic events, with a generic nomenclature as “MAAH-SOON”. Like, she would ask me while I am preparing to go to our Lodge meeting, “are you going to MAAH-SOON, Ama?”

Back to Maia’s find. I’m sure this mark carries with it many stories. But I’d like to fancy it as a mark left by one of the Masons who made the road. I guess it was not even his name. I think he just etched the word that instantly came to his mind that can collectively identify all of them – mga MAAH-SOON. This drift is consistent with an ancient practice among operative Masons.

According to WIKIPEDIA: A mason’s mark is a symbol often found on dressed stone in buildings and other public structures. Scottish rules issued in 1598 stated that on admission to the guild, every mason had to enter his name and his mark in a register.

Another: THE subject of Marks forms an interesting episode in the history of Masonry, both Operative and Speculative. A Mason’s Mark is a monogram, a symbol, or some other arbitrary figure chiselled by a mason on the surface of a stone for the purpose of identifying his own work and distinguishing it from that of other workmen.

I find the mark that Maia found fascinating and noble all together. The marker could have written, “Junrhey loves Jonahlyn” or “Carding was her,” for crying out loud, but instead he chose to put a mark that gives due recognition and distinction to their craft – that of him or them being Masons. Proud of their work, proud of of their craft.

More often, the nobility and virtues of Masonry can still be found marked in the hearts of those who truly build roads, buildings and other stately edifices, than those who just proclaim themselves Masons by flashing their fancy decals and titles, but doesn’t know how to build an edifice of virtue in their hearts nor spread the cement of brotherly love.

The very first time I’ve been to a Courtroom was five years ago today.

That was the day when I married Ms.Maria Marina Victoria Kapauan. Yes, its our Fifth Wedding Anniversary today. Five years in the legal count, because years before that we were already – living together and growing together:

Start with a man and you have one.
Add on a woman and then you have two.

Add on a child and what have you got?
Youve got more than three.
Youve got what they call a family.

Living together, growing together, just being together,
Thats how it starts.
Three loving hearts all

Pulling together, working together, just building together,
That makes you strong.
If things go wrong well still get along somehow,
Living and growing together.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Darling! Wub U.

My past week have been all but upsetting and depressing. Pangunahin na rito, sa loob ng isang linggo my baby Maia was sick from a Urinary Track Infection (UTI). Her mommy Bambit was away to conduct a two weeks series of IT trainings in Masbate.

Dagdag pang nakakapanlumo at bad trip ang mga balitang: Ang patuloy na pagpapauwi sa ating mga OFWs na natanggal sa kanilang mga trabaho abroad. Ang P*** I*  si Jocjoc Bolante is still free and happy at nakakapagsinungaling pa straightfaced. And, for the fourth time, GMA was once again saved by her lapdogs in Congress from another impeachment complaint. !@#$%^&*!!!+… kung di ka ba naman manlumo.

Ah, but this week is all sunshine and at least a little glimmer of hope. Sunshine, for Maia is now up and about after undergoing anti-biotic treatment and Bambit is now back with us in our home sweet home. At ang konting pag-asa na baka sakali ay swertehin – no winner pa (as of this writing) ang Superlotto (6/49) 127 Million jackpot prize. (update: 144 Million na ang jackpot, no winner for Dec.7 draw)

Topping the happy news for this week and perhaps the following weeks to come, is Manny Pacquiao’s victory. Wala ng hihigit pa for a dose of Pinoy pride than Manny Pacquiao beating the boxing legend, Golden Boy Oscar De la Hoya. Manny deserves our praise – here is a man with the heart of a lion, fought against all odds and had won. Here is a man who had put the Philippines back in the center of the World stage, for a more honorable reason other than that of being the most corrupt country in Asia.

Wala akong paki-alam kung inuna ni Manny na pasalamatan si Chavit Singson o si Gloria o sino mang pulitiko…o si Ara Mina ba kaya, si Mang Karding, maging si Heztas, barabas kahit sino pa man…wala na tayong pakialam…si Manny ang umakyat sa ring at nakipagtagisan ng tapang at lakas, hindi tayo. Karapatan nyang sabihin kahit anong gusto nya dahil panalo nya ito. Ang mahalaga, Manny had once again gave us glory and pride, lasapin natin ito kahit sa sandali. Dahil tiyak bukas, sila Gloria, Chavit, Lito Atienza, etc..na naman ang magsasalita – yan na ang pagkakataong magmura tayo!

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Photo taken from Inquirer.net