Short Poems

Since I had been digging old papers and separating which ones to be recycled, I found another folder that holds my very old poems, attempts I might say, written during my teen years. 

Going Gaga

I sit in the chair

   stare at the phone

   and wait for a call to ring.

Minutes had passed

   gone were the hours

   to realized, I'm waiting for nothing.

Ing...

I always dream of becoming

   and having and acquiring.

To end my day doing nothing

   just sitting and staring.

Who Am I?

I! Who am I?

A person with humble pride.

With an honour and a life

With a soul and a heart.

I can do nothing but shout to the world

I am one of the sons of God!

And then I noticed now that I like using the word nothing which is funny because I truly enjoy the song of Ms. Houston's I Have Nothing.

The Alphabet of Art

Three years ago, my assistant and I decided to create individual ABC art books for each student and we managed to do the entire 26 letters, basing the paintings from famous artworks, and then compiling them into books. The children also made a class book using the same theme and I scanned chosen individual paintings to create a poster for classroom use. 

The whole thing was painstakingly done, individually or in very small groups. Though controlled in some aspects as they were only four years of age, these great representations could not be duplicated because of its complexity as they evolved through the ongoing interests and abilities of the children that school year.

This year I wanted to outdo this project and I hope to find inspiration from the children I have this term. I need another challenge to make me a better teacher.

Empty Seats

"It is better to be alone than being with someone who makes you feel alone."


When I tell stories, you never listen...
You never ask how my days were...
I like chocolates, you don't...
If I want to see a movie, everything is boring for you...
There is nothing important but your friends...
You never help with anything...

Empty seats means no audience.
               Empty house means no life.
                              Empty heart means no more of love.

Umbrellas

I always have an umbrella in my backpack. I use it to block the scorching sun or to protect me from the pelting drops of rain. So rain or shine, it serves its purpose. 

When I was at the beach a week ago, I stayed under the umbrellas as I wanted to enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the sea rather than to bask myself under the sun's rays. I was in a safe place. I was in my comfort zone.

In reality, umbrellas are there to protect us but this implement against weather is of no use when it comes to words exchanged or heard that can simply shatter us. 

When harsh words are spoken and I hear them from others, I feel defenseless. When someone picks on my little mistakes, I am hurt. When I hear comments related to racial colour or status in life, I have no other resort but to be quiet. I get defenseless.

I wanted to have an umbrella that will shelter me from harm. I wanted an umbrella that will shield me from vile words. I need an umbrella that will simply comfort me when unpredictable situations arise. My umbrella could be a friend, my confidence, my wisdom, my personality or my faith. 

Let those who wag their tongues of unsound rambling falls and let the rewarding sunshine of greatness greet me everyday, without the need for an umbrella. (my prayer)

First Day of School

After just two days of school, I feel very tired. This must be because I just came from a long holiday visiting four great places in a span of four weeks. My usual system is not working yet but after maybe one or two more weeks then everything will return to normal.

Smiles greeted me when I met the parents and the children. Then one of my students came to me and gave me some flowers she picked from the garden. The mom told me that she was very excited to be in school, just to be with me. Small acts of kindness melt my heart while the words of the child further my strength.

Challenges will be aplenty but small tokens of appreciation and encouraging words will be my shield and sword this school year. Hoping for a great one.

Two Summers

As a teacher, I am privileged to have two months of summer break per year. When I was teaching in a Chinese school, I opted not to teach the summer program and ended up being a translator in a Japanese owned multinational company.

I was an interpreter, making the rounds every morning helping out the workers understand what the Taiwanese engineers asked them to do. I also interpreted for the company's president during meets between management and production staff. It was fun, spending an hour every morning and an hour in the afternoon for meetings.

When I wasn't doing any translation, I walked around looking for misbehaviour amongst the production staff or immersed myself in doing some of the technical work such as mounting filaments or operating small machines.

I learned two things when I was there. I learned to be fair to everyone and be considerate of others' feelings thus changing some minor details during translations so as not to hurt sensitive feelings. I also learned how to deal with people, lots of them, and looked not into their differences from a high profiled owner, the middle management and the factory workers. Everyone is the same as long as they treat each other right. For me, it was a great experience.

My protective gloves, recently resurrected, were reminders of my "hands-on-learning experiences".

An Awakening

I had the privilege to visit my cousin in Taiwan last month. She was gracious enough to let me stay in her place. Located on the fifth floor of an old building, the flight of stairs seemed so long once you climbed them carrying a heavy suitcase. Her room was a bit cramped, comparatively speaking, and the bathroom can be found outside. It was a shared facility with another person. There were litanies of do's and don'ts as how to operate the hot shower, the toilet flush, and the problem about drainage. It was very overwhelming.

When I was telling her stories from home, she warned me to speak softly as the partition between her and another occupant of the floor was just a piece of plywood. Then she turned her fan on for some breeze and out came this annoying sound of a fan needing either oil for lubrication or a change. There was neither readily available hot water nor utensils that were in place. It was out of my comfort zone. It was simplicity, spelled in and out.

I was ashamed of my frivolities and material gains back home since I am surrounded by comfort. My space is ten times her space or maybe more. I have some occasional help to do the garden and the house and a permanent driver to pick me up to go to school. My house is filled with my book collection spanning two rooms while I have another room just for dressing. I can sing and dance without worrying about how distant I am with my neighbours, yet all these for a price.

My cousin lives in peace and I don't. I may have a house but I can't call it home. She speaks highly of her family and I don't. She owes no one any money and I do. She lives a life that is simple yet well-directed by her goals and dreams. She extends her generosity to anyone despite the small space of her living quarter or her limited budget set for each month. She is indeed a role model. She knows how to balance her life: well-paying job, great friends, a close communion with God, and a simple lifestyle that brings comfort and gladness.

Meeting Friends: 12, 23 and 29

This summer break of July 2012, I made great milestones as I was able to connect once more with good old friends of yesteryear. I met a colleague of mine whom I traveled with after 12 years of not seeing each other. No Facebook and e-mails can connect as as he has none. Our meet at a cafe shop gave me an opportunity to learn how to deal with age gracefully, business wise.


My next meet with two of my former colleagues in school was not just a pleasant surprise but a super fabulous one. Since I have not seen my friend for 23 years, it was a bundle of joy and surprise to see her dressed as a nun as she had joined the nunnery for some time now. She came in the restaurant jubilantly giving me a high five. The conversations were just ridiculously funny.


Lastly was when I met four other high school buddies I have not seen in 29 years. Imagine all the years gone without a single e-mail yet the first time eye to eye contacts were priceless. It was two days of eating out: lunch and dinner. It was so much fun I wanted to stay put and be with them, all having the time of their lives. 


This July was a blessed month of true friendship, warm companionship and fantastic experiences. It will be tough to match.


My sincerest thanks to the following: Butch, Buboy, Paulyn, Sally, Bonnie, Betty, Elizabeth and Emily for the wonderful stories, funny anecdotes and heart warming friendships.

Strawberries

I just read an entry from a fellow blogger about his trip to Baguio and it was about strawberries. I was drooling and envious because I had been thinking of visiting the City of Pines for some time now.

Lo and behold when I was cleaning up, another sketch I made when I was much younger. It was done in 1982 and it was a basket filled with strawberries. I remembered making the fruit as vivid and detailed as I could. I am fascinated as how the colour had not changed since then. Since I haven't had the opportunity to personally pick strawberries from their low branches during this time, I'll just reminisce my stay in Baguio many years ago with this old art work of mine.

Balicasag Island ( July 2012)

One of the highlights of my trip to Tagbilaran is our island hopping tour and we ended in Balicasag for snorkelling. Our snorkelling guide is simply fantastic and he was able to make us feel at home, not that we became mermaids and mermen, but we appreciated fully our short yet memorable swim under the sea. 

Feeding the fish with my friend.

I had been in numerous snorkeling dives around Thailand but my experience in Bohol cannot be compared to my expeditions in Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui or Koh Chang. This one stands out.

The variety of fish offers amazement.

There are numerous fish of different sizes and colours which truly amazes me. My former snorkeling trips were inhabited by the same coloured species. I learned that Balicasag is one protected territory.

The corals underwater are breathtaking.

I wanted to capture the colour and beauty of the underworld but my camera has limited functions. At that moment, all I can do was capture the vivid grace of the underwater in my mind.

And now for the dive!

I am now convinced that diving should be next in my itinerary, another thing to do or accomplish so that I could thoroughly enjoy nature at its best. 

Right on! What a dive!

I give my entire Balicasag trip a "thumbs-up". 

Bohol, Tagbilaran City

Just three weeks ago, I went to Bohol with two of my best buddies and it was a blast. I am posting just a little bit of what Tagbilaran is and how beautiful it is as a city. 

Our tired bodies seemingly jolted out of their weariness when we tried the meat 'hong ma' at Cafe Lawis. It is superb and what with the ambience of a garden, our lunch is one fabulous eat. 

The Hinagdanan Cave is eerie yet filled with wonder. The air inside is welcoming and the water is enticing. Though it is a great place to be, I am not going to be swimming in darkness for I am afraid of what's underneath. 

A short stop at the Muro Ami Beach means a short walk along the white sands where I found some dead jellyfish. I particularly like the varying degrees of colour from the sand up to the mountain tops.

The River Cruise with lunch is a welcome addition to a hot and humid day. The enchanting Loboc River is a wonder and the serenity of the water adds to its mystery during the day. I wonder what lurks in there at night.

The infamous Chocolate Hills where we get to see a glimpse of its majesty by climbing a set of steps at a time. Named chocolate for its colour during the summer, tourists often say it reminded them of "Kisses" chocolates.

The Bamboo Hanging Bridge is used to cross the Sipatan River and it is a great way to experience motion sickness. Hanging on the rail while crossing is not fun so better take your hands off and walk.

That's 6 out of the 500 photos we took for this trip. Go and do visit, it's more fun in the Philippines.

Old Sketches

Freeing myself of all the clutter and old files that abound in my house, I happened to kept three sketches I made in 1981. All three were Asian themed and garden inspired.