Monday, September 27, 2010
CEBU....senor sto. nino....a childhood dream fulfilled
every time people would ask me what place outside of luzon i would like to visit i would always say CEBU....that was when i was in grade school....i think that lasted up to high school....i had that idea after my father went to cebu on a business trip...he came home with several sto. nino images....he brought home a lot of small ones....they were no more that 4 inches tall....most of them my mother gave to their friends....one image which was about 9 inches tall was kept in our house...that one was supposed to be for me....i loved that image....it was a black sto. nino....i felt it was unique because of its color...i didn't know that that was how sto nino de cebu was supposed to look like.....
i would always ask my parents to bring me to cebu one day so i could go to the place where the BIG sto. nino can be found...but we never got that chance as a family to go there....
when i studied in manila i learned that there are beautiful places other cebu.....i met friends from iligan, davao, cotabato, etc....and then i also learned about boracay.....cebu was pushed far back i almost forgot it existed...the first chance i got to fly outside of luzon i didn't go to that place i've always dreamt of...instead, i visited boracay.....i loved the place so i would always say that that's the place i would love to visit over and over...but i would also say i like to go to other places as well like palawan, davao, cagayan de oro, etc....cebu was not part of my plans anymore because i found out from friends that it looks just like metro manila....
and then an opportunity to go to cebu came...i was excited....well, i was excited just to be able to travel again and not really to see the place...so i booked our flight and reserved a room in a pension house....
when i arrived in cebu i was surprised that i felt really happy....i felt like i have a connection with the place....i didn't feel this throughout the entire preparation period.....i just felt when i arrived that i like cebu....the cebuanos are very kind...all the people we've encountered were great....all the people we've asked for help were kind enough to help us.....the taxi drivers didn't take advantage of our being new in the place....the security guards were approachable...they gladly helped us with directions.....one security guard was even gracious enough to take my picture when i was struggling to take a picture of myself with the fountain as a background using my cellphone....
the place really looked like manila as i was told....there's traffic....long line at the taxi bays.....most of the shops are the same as those that you'd see here....but i didn't mind....in my 5 days stays i visited ayala center 4 times and sm cebu once....
but the best part of my stay in cebu was my trip to the BASILLICA DEL STO. NINO....the first thing i did when i saw the image was to take pictures...the 'tourist' in me said take lots of pictures of sto. nino....
i also took pictures of me with the image in the background.....there were a lot of people just looking at the image which was placed high up on one side of the big quadrangle....most of the people were praying...i think....some were singing along with the music playing in the background....after taking a few shots i entered the church....
that's when i felt the same feeling i must have felt when i got hold of the sto. nino my father brought home more than a couple of decades ago....i closed my eyes and started to thank Him for bring me to the place that i used to love as a kid.....i thanked Him for allowing me to finally see the church where i know my father prayed for blessings for our family....we didn't stay long but i know in the short time i was there i was able to express my gratitude for just being there....i also prayed for my father particularly about his health.....i felt like it was my time to ask for blessings for our family....my father's prayers were generously answered then....i know my prayers now will also be answered generously....or perhaps even more......
i saw a stairs leading to the image of senor sto. nino.....i think people go up there to 'touch' the image and pray.....it was already night time when we went there....nobody was going up anymore(that is if people really go up there)....i thought that going up there would have been a nice experience but it was okay.....i felt that just being there in the quadrangle was more than enough.....it was more than enough to fulfill a childhood dream.....it was more than enough to say my thanksgiving....it was more than enough to pray for my requests...it was more than enough to feel confident my prayers were heard and will be answered....
i would always ask my parents to bring me to cebu one day so i could go to the place where the BIG sto. nino can be found...but we never got that chance as a family to go there....
when i studied in manila i learned that there are beautiful places other cebu.....i met friends from iligan, davao, cotabato, etc....and then i also learned about boracay.....cebu was pushed far back i almost forgot it existed...the first chance i got to fly outside of luzon i didn't go to that place i've always dreamt of...instead, i visited boracay.....i loved the place so i would always say that that's the place i would love to visit over and over...but i would also say i like to go to other places as well like palawan, davao, cagayan de oro, etc....cebu was not part of my plans anymore because i found out from friends that it looks just like metro manila....
and then an opportunity to go to cebu came...i was excited....well, i was excited just to be able to travel again and not really to see the place...so i booked our flight and reserved a room in a pension house....
when i arrived in cebu i was surprised that i felt really happy....i felt like i have a connection with the place....i didn't feel this throughout the entire preparation period.....i just felt when i arrived that i like cebu....the cebuanos are very kind...all the people we've encountered were great....all the people we've asked for help were kind enough to help us.....the taxi drivers didn't take advantage of our being new in the place....the security guards were approachable...they gladly helped us with directions.....one security guard was even gracious enough to take my picture when i was struggling to take a picture of myself with the fountain as a background using my cellphone....
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| this is the fountain and the security guard you can see at the back was the one who took my picture (which i will not show) |
the place really looked like manila as i was told....there's traffic....long line at the taxi bays.....most of the shops are the same as those that you'd see here....but i didn't mind....in my 5 days stays i visited ayala center 4 times and sm cebu once....
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| view from the second floor of the ayala center...stage was set because ogie alcasid will be performing that night |
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| there's the newly opened redbox at the back.... |
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| then there's starbucks |
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| the long line of taxi... |
but the best part of my stay in cebu was my trip to the BASILLICA DEL STO. NINO....the first thing i did when i saw the image was to take pictures...the 'tourist' in me said take lots of pictures of sto. nino....
i also took pictures of me with the image in the background.....there were a lot of people just looking at the image which was placed high up on one side of the big quadrangle....most of the people were praying...i think....some were singing along with the music playing in the background....after taking a few shots i entered the church....
that's when i felt the same feeling i must have felt when i got hold of the sto. nino my father brought home more than a couple of decades ago....i closed my eyes and started to thank Him for bring me to the place that i used to love as a kid.....i thanked Him for allowing me to finally see the church where i know my father prayed for blessings for our family....we didn't stay long but i know in the short time i was there i was able to express my gratitude for just being there....i also prayed for my father particularly about his health.....i felt like it was my time to ask for blessings for our family....my father's prayers were generously answered then....i know my prayers now will also be answered generously....or perhaps even more......
i saw a stairs leading to the image of senor sto. nino.....i think people go up there to 'touch' the image and pray.....it was already night time when we went there....nobody was going up anymore(that is if people really go up there)....i thought that going up there would have been a nice experience but it was okay.....i felt that just being there in the quadrangle was more than enough.....it was more than enough to fulfill a childhood dream.....it was more than enough to say my thanksgiving....it was more than enough to pray for my requests...it was more than enough to feel confident my prayers were heard and will be answered....
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
patintero...taympers...hope...
last night i went to robinsons place, ermita just to wander around...i walked aimlessly...it was probably the first time i went to a mall without real purpose...i walked without knowing where i was going...i looked at shops without really seeing...i bumped a few guys along the way...they were probably wandering inside the mall just like what i was doing...it was tiring but i felt good...at peace...did i get anything from it?...except perhaps for a couple of calories off i got nothing from it really...but then again i felt at peace...it was like having my 'taympers'...remember that time when we were kids playing patintero?...we used to say 'taympers' if we want to rest...if we feel tired...if we feel some pain...or we just feel like stopping for no reason...i had my 'taympers' last night and it felt great...but just like any game of patintero the 'taympers' has to end...it was i think 9 already and the mall is already closing...i has no choice but to go out...but i didn't want to go home just yet...so i walked...and i walked...and i walked...while walking i thought, once the 'taympers' in patintero ends, the games begin again...but in patintero, if failed to make a goal in your firsts attempt you are g iven another chance after the team has tried their luck...if you fail again you just have to wait a while and you'll get yet another chance...is it the same thing in life?...do we get the same privilege of getting several chances...yes, i think we do...but the game of patintero is not a never-ending game...it ends when somebody says he's out already because he is tired...it ends when it gets dark...it ends when our parents calls us to go home...does this mean our second chances in life end also?...perhaps it does when we get too tired and we say we no longer want to go on...or when everything gets dark we could no longer see anything even hope...or when our maker calls us home...was that 'taympers' my last timeout...after it has ended and the game begins, will i be able to get a chance to reach that goal again...or is it already 'time's up'...
when i got home i went directly to my room and lied down on my bed...i closed my eyes hoping i would be pricked by a needle that will put me to sleep much like what happened to 'sleeping beauty'...i was hoping i will only be awakened by a kiss of blessings...i was hoping to wake up to a brand new day full of hope...not a day when all hope is gone...then i was awake again...the room still looked the same...the pile of laundry at the foot of my bed still looked the same...the table with my grooming stuff still looked untouched...the faucet in bathroom still gives the same dripping sound...the tricycle drivers outside our house are still the same bunch of guys i saw yesterday...the security guard at work still wears the same old uniform...did anything change?...not a single bit...oh there is one change...the calendar says it's no longer august...it's already the start of the highly anticipated ber months...but even that could not hide the fact that nothing changed...the same life...the same life...
when i opened my facebook the first thing i saw was this line from a 'friend' whose profile name is 'the bible'...
Freedom following pain
The resurrection came after the crucifixion, this is God's pattern throughout the Bible: freedom following pain. In times of pain know that God seeks freedom for you, release, healing and great joy! As Isaiah 40:31 states:
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
i said 'i believe'...yes, freedom does follow pain...but what if i already chose to alleviate pain already by being at peace while wandering about...did i already lose that freedom i am supposed to get?...
then this line from the same 'friend' again...
hope...if it's the goal in patintero, how long do i need to reach it...how many 'taympers' will i need...will i last long enough to cross the last line...will the whole game last till i finally cross that last line...hope...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
super mario...pineapple and gin punch...red wine...good old friends...memories
i had a wonderful night with my grade school and high school friends last sunday...we went to jhoan's house to celebrate her birthday...ako, jhoan, arnold, karen, vicky, maricel...it was nice recalling the good experiences we had back in the old days...i know they get together regularly (i get to join them only once in a while) but there are still a lot of good memories to talk about...one of the things we've talked about is out extension parties back in high school...extension parties are 'extensions' of the christmas parties we celebrate in school...you see parties in school end at around six...so feeling 'bitin' we go to a classmate's house to continue the fun...our venue for i think all four christmases we spent together in high school was vicky's house...they have a big 'sala' in their second floor...a perfect venue for partying...and her parents are welcoming so we always felt at ease...as i look back all our parties where fun...all wholesome...perhaps the most 'adult' thing we ever did was to have punch...pineapple juice mixed with a small bottle (bilog) of gin...definitely diluted...pineapple continuously added...gin forgotten...probably high school students now will call our parties boring...no alcohol...you can hardly consider the punch we drink as alcoholic...
another thing we discussed was the nintendo game we played during our elementary years...i think vicky was the only one who has nintendo so it's only in thier house where we get to play supoer mario...i was surprised that last night that two decades after, super mario still exists...i saw a housemate playing super mario in his psp...i asked what goes on in the super mario now...iasked if they still save the princess...yes, they still do save the princess...are the mushrooms...is there still a flower you have to get?...yes...do you still jump over turtles?...yes...is there still a star to help you overpower the enemies?...yes...wow...not much changed...
as i reflect i realized that there are a lot of things in life that still remains the same...vicky's house is still there but i don't know if we could still party...super mario and his brother luigi wer able to fight all the enemies thus they still remain...and more importantly friends remain...there are little changes, yes, but for the most part walang pinag-iba...we may now have red wine (thanks to arnold and zeth who now resides in spain -- i regret not being able to join them when she came home) instead of pineapple/gin punch...but the friendship is still there...laughter...the same....stories...the same...i hope to find time to join them again...soon...there are still a lot of wonderful memories to relieve...
another thing we discussed was the nintendo game we played during our elementary years...i think vicky was the only one who has nintendo so it's only in thier house where we get to play supoer mario...i was surprised that last night that two decades after, super mario still exists...i saw a housemate playing super mario in his psp...i asked what goes on in the super mario now...iasked if they still save the princess...yes, they still do save the princess...are the mushrooms...is there still a flower you have to get?...yes...do you still jump over turtles?...yes...is there still a star to help you overpower the enemies?...yes...wow...not much changed...
as i reflect i realized that there are a lot of things in life that still remains the same...vicky's house is still there but i don't know if we could still party...super mario and his brother luigi wer able to fight all the enemies thus they still remain...and more importantly friends remain...there are little changes, yes, but for the most part walang pinag-iba...we may now have red wine (thanks to arnold and zeth who now resides in spain -- i regret not being able to join them when she came home) instead of pineapple/gin punch...but the friendship is still there...laughter...the same....stories...the same...i hope to find time to join them again...soon...there are still a lot of wonderful memories to relieve...
Friday, August 27, 2010
hope is what we need...
i felt bad when i read an article about the manila bus hostage taking this morning...first i felt bad because i felt the author of the article was looking down on us...but then as i went on with the article i realized that a lot of what he is saying is true...many things that happen to us according to him is because many of us have already lost hope...he said a lot of us just become content on what is there...we just accept whatever is presented to us...i didn't like to believe this at first...really...but it seems that what he said is right...there are many of us who say "okay na yan kesa wala"..."pwede na yang trabaho na yan kesa mamalimos"..."okay lang ma late kasi late din naman sila"...
i hope we do not lose hope...because there is hope...look at that girl who sent her wishes to wish ko lang...she is a child who probably didn't even know how to spell hope...but she showed hope...look at that teachers who posted the concerns of her students in her facebook account...she was saddened by the lack of funds from the government...but she knew she wasn't lacking in friends whom she know would help...she hope...so she could show hope...what is their common denominator...their situations are what many would say hopeless...had those situations happened to others they would have said "let us just accept our situations because we have no other choice"...but both of them hoped...and they got what they hoped for...
i hope we do not lose hope...because there is hope...look at that girl who sent her wishes to wish ko lang...she is a child who probably didn't even know how to spell hope...but she showed hope...look at that teachers who posted the concerns of her students in her facebook account...she was saddened by the lack of funds from the government...but she knew she wasn't lacking in friends whom she know would help...she hope...so she could show hope...what is their common denominator...their situations are what many would say hopeless...had those situations happened to others they would have said "let us just accept our situations because we have no other choice"...but both of them hoped...and they got what they hoped for...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
we are now hostages of our own people....
there!...what we've all been fearing for happened...we are now hostages by other people's judgments...i'll say it again we are now hostages by OTHER PEOPLE's judgements...i didn't say other nationalities...i said other people...because we are not only hostages of foreigners' opinions but our own opinions as well...so many things are being said...so many issues being discussed in public...so many criticisms being hurled at people...filipinos, why are we making ourselves hostages of these opinions, issues, concerns, criticisms...do we need to do this to ourselves?...what we need, i believe, is to stand up together, as one nation, to prove to the world that we are a good people...a peace loving race...a God fearing nation...we have done this successfully in the past...we have done this in EDSA back in 1986...we can do it again now...
we do not need to go to the streets bearing placards saying filipinos are good people...we do not need to write articles such as this to shout out loud that we are kind people...what we need is to stop pulling each other down...what we need is build each other up...what need is to sow love...what we need is to show care for others...
let us take inspiration from filipinos who have done so already...
efren penaflorida jr teaches streetchildren how to read and write...how to live life...he teaches them out of love...he gives them inspiration...he gives them hope...
people driving the ambulansyang de paa...they take time and effort to carry the ill through long and difficult trails just to bring them to the nearest hospital where they could be given proper treatment...
the filipino nannies in other countries who leave their own children behind and take care other peoples' kids to earn a living for their families...
the filipino caregivers in other countries who leave their own aging and sick parents to take care of other old people just to make money to buy medicines for their own parents...
the filipino teachers who teach other nationalities to speak a language that they themselves cannot call their own...
the soldiers who risk their lives in protecting us from terrorists...
the missionary priests who go to places where they are not welcome just to let them know the Good News...
the old ladies who volunteers to clean the churches everyday to give us a conducive place to worship our maker...
let us take inspiration from these people who chose to look at the beauty of life rather than all the negativities....let us take inspiration from them so we could lift the image of the filipinos once again....let us take inspiration from them so we could show the world who we truly are...let us take inspiration from them for the filipino children...the kids who have no idea of what the whole manila hostage drama was all about...the kids who are at this very moment listening to their teachers believing that what they'll learn will give them a bright future...the kids who are at this time dreaming that someday their parents who are picking 're-sell-able' items from dumpsites will find free tickets to a theme park under the pile of trash...the kids who are hoping to someday see a mouse that they will not fear...
we do not need to go to the streets bearing placards saying filipinos are good people...we do not need to write articles such as this to shout out loud that we are kind people...what we need is to stop pulling each other down...what we need is build each other up...what need is to sow love...what we need is to show care for others...
let us take inspiration from filipinos who have done so already...
efren penaflorida jr teaches streetchildren how to read and write...how to live life...he teaches them out of love...he gives them inspiration...he gives them hope...
people driving the ambulansyang de paa...they take time and effort to carry the ill through long and difficult trails just to bring them to the nearest hospital where they could be given proper treatment...
the filipino nannies in other countries who leave their own children behind and take care other peoples' kids to earn a living for their families...
the filipino caregivers in other countries who leave their own aging and sick parents to take care of other old people just to make money to buy medicines for their own parents...
the filipino teachers who teach other nationalities to speak a language that they themselves cannot call their own...
the soldiers who risk their lives in protecting us from terrorists...
the missionary priests who go to places where they are not welcome just to let them know the Good News...
the old ladies who volunteers to clean the churches everyday to give us a conducive place to worship our maker...
let us take inspiration from these people who chose to look at the beauty of life rather than all the negativities....let us take inspiration from them so we could lift the image of the filipinos once again....let us take inspiration from them so we could show the world who we truly are...let us take inspiration from them for the filipino children...the kids who have no idea of what the whole manila hostage drama was all about...the kids who are at this very moment listening to their teachers believing that what they'll learn will give them a bright future...the kids who are at this time dreaming that someday their parents who are picking 're-sell-able' items from dumpsites will find free tickets to a theme park under the pile of trash...the kids who are hoping to someday see a mouse that they will not fear...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
manila bus hostage...do not let innocent filipinos become hostages of your judgments
the manila bus hostage drama yesterday was very alarming...it's very traumatic...not only for the people directly involved but for those of us who watched the situation on tv as well...
but what's more alarming for me is the effect of this on us...the reaction of the international community...last night i was saying there will be travel bans again because of this manila bus hostage taking...true enough, i read on facebook that there are several travel bans already...
i also pity all the filipinos working abroad...most especially those people working in hong kong and other chinese communities...whether we like it or not, these overseas filipino workers will somehow be affected...they might be treated unfairly...some will be looked down upon...others might even get abused...
i'm writing this to appeal to everybody to react on this with calm...please always remember that we are all different...filipinos are different from other races...and even us who come from the same race also differ from one another...please do not look at us as if all of us are evil people...please do not look at all of us as if we are criminals...yes, there are filipinos who do unacceptable things...we all know that...we recognize that...in the first place we cannot deny what happened yesterday at the quirino grandstand...but is this not the same thing that happens in other countries?...there are also hostage takings in other places...there are also others who get robbed in other countries...there are also others who get beaten up in dark alleys in other nations...what happened yesterday is not unique to the philippines...that bus hostage taking could happen -- no! that happens in other places as well...
please do not get me wrong...i'm not saying that we should just all forget what happened yesterday just because bad things happen everywhere anyway...no!...what i'm saying is that let us not blame all filipinos for what happened...we say what the hostage taker did was wrong because he used innocent people for his own purpose...i say yes, i agree...those innocent people should not have been put in harm's way...my appeal to you also stems from that idea...please do not let innocent filipinos be affected by what that one man did...because if you do you are also doing to us the very you thing you hate...you are making us hostages...innocent hostages...yes, justice must be served...but not at our expense...let the proper authorities do their jobs...in the mean time let us look at the brighter side of filipinos...
there are a lot of foreign visitors in our land who have been pleased with our hospitality...there are a lot of foreigners who have experienced our honesty...there are a lot of foreigners who have been entertained by our jolly attitude...these are the things that i hope we will not forget to see...even how blinding that hostage taking is...
we are a nation still trying to start a new life...a new life after much political turmoil...to look at us as criminals or evil people will certainly not help...please let us stand up again as a nation and allow us to prove to you that we are good people....mabuhay ang mga pilipino...mabuhay ang pilipinas....
but what's more alarming for me is the effect of this on us...the reaction of the international community...last night i was saying there will be travel bans again because of this manila bus hostage taking...true enough, i read on facebook that there are several travel bans already...
i also pity all the filipinos working abroad...most especially those people working in hong kong and other chinese communities...whether we like it or not, these overseas filipino workers will somehow be affected...they might be treated unfairly...some will be looked down upon...others might even get abused...
i'm writing this to appeal to everybody to react on this with calm...please always remember that we are all different...filipinos are different from other races...and even us who come from the same race also differ from one another...please do not look at us as if all of us are evil people...please do not look at all of us as if we are criminals...yes, there are filipinos who do unacceptable things...we all know that...we recognize that...in the first place we cannot deny what happened yesterday at the quirino grandstand...but is this not the same thing that happens in other countries?...there are also hostage takings in other places...there are also others who get robbed in other countries...there are also others who get beaten up in dark alleys in other nations...what happened yesterday is not unique to the philippines...that bus hostage taking could happen -- no! that happens in other places as well...
please do not get me wrong...i'm not saying that we should just all forget what happened yesterday just because bad things happen everywhere anyway...no!...what i'm saying is that let us not blame all filipinos for what happened...we say what the hostage taker did was wrong because he used innocent people for his own purpose...i say yes, i agree...those innocent people should not have been put in harm's way...my appeal to you also stems from that idea...please do not let innocent filipinos be affected by what that one man did...because if you do you are also doing to us the very you thing you hate...you are making us hostages...innocent hostages...yes, justice must be served...but not at our expense...let the proper authorities do their jobs...in the mean time let us look at the brighter side of filipinos...
there are a lot of foreign visitors in our land who have been pleased with our hospitality...there are a lot of foreigners who have experienced our honesty...there are a lot of foreigners who have been entertained by our jolly attitude...these are the things that i hope we will not forget to see...even how blinding that hostage taking is...
we are a nation still trying to start a new life...a new life after much political turmoil...to look at us as criminals or evil people will certainly not help...please let us stand up again as a nation and allow us to prove to you that we are good people....mabuhay ang mga pilipino...mabuhay ang pilipinas....
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