Archive for October, 2007

Treats from America

October 31st, 2007
{ 5 Comments }

Trick or Treat! I may be living far from the U.S. but I got my share of treats from two blogger friends!
This beautiful New Jersey postcard came from Fortuitous Faery. After some e-mail exchanges, we learned that we both love writing mails! Now, she’s not only my blogging friend, but she’s now my pen friend.

I’ve always loved writing and receiving letters!
Gotta start collecting new stationery sets again. I’m so happy I now have something new to look forward to in the mailbox. Thank you Fortuitous and I look forward to receiving more letters from you!

The next batch of treats came from Laura of Seabird Chronicles! I joined the Autumn Goody Swap and Laura sent these cool stuffs to all the way to Japan! There’s this very cute wooden bird she got from their recent trip to Uruguay.
The gummy bears that came with it helped me ease the stress away. Finally, she put in something that’s really hard to find here in Japan: Red Bull! I really laughed hard when I found out it’s my most favorite energy drink. This just indicates that she’s reading my blog. Thank you very much Laura! Those were really great treats!

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Blogging, Friends

How dirtier can it get?

October 30th, 2007
{ 10 Comments }

Me: Ma, how’s it going? Have you won?
Mama: Nope. Didn’t make it. I lost. I just ranked 9th.
Me: Really? I don’t believe you…
Mama: It’s true! If only I had handed out something…

It’s barangay (ward) election in the Philippines yesterday and my mother’s a candidate for barangay councilor. I can attest to her love for social involvement and service. She was already a barangay official even before the honorarium was mandated. However, this time, she could no longer hold on to being a barangay councilor. New contingents had pushed her out of the list.

As her daughter, I truly want her to do what she loves doing. I understand and accept that people have their reasons for not choosing her… but I’m really disgusted at those who won because they resorted to vote buying. Yes, my mother had thought of doing the same thing, but my father and I have always been “strong factors” to her decisions.

It’s such a shame that in our barangay, we could only point to a single contingent who won fair and square. Imagine this… for 2,200 Pesos ($50-$60) of monthly honorarium/salary, many of those candidates handed out “gifts” to the voters from 20 Pesos to 200 Pesos just to secure a post! Aside from vote-buying, many of those candidates (my mother included) even got death threats! In fact, across the country, there were lots of election-related violence and deaths.

It is the smallest local government unit in the country we are talking about here and all these trash are occurring. These rubbish are just magnified as the government level goes higher.

In a country where vote buying and violence are treated like normal election processes, it’s just so hard to trust all of the government officials. Our country really needs purging… but is there still someone whom we could trust? Can we, Filipino citizens, hold our head up high and elect someone who have no other intention than to serve? We couldn’t entirely prevent people who are so buried into poverty from accepting those “gifts”. So, it all comes down to the government seat aspirants. Do you still have enough tact, conscience, and pride in you and not to resort to these rubbish? Well, I just hope that these questions won’t forever remain as riddles…

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Family, Philippines

What Matters Most

October 29th, 2007
{ 9 Comments }

I’m really glad Rolando tagged me in this meme: 3 things that I won’t let go. This made me realize that for quite sometime now, I have not done some “deep-thinking”. I really need to sort out what are the things that matter most to me…

1. Love
Any kind of love is wonderful and has the power to transform people. It is love for my family and those dear to me that brings out the “hero” in me.

2. Hope
When things get tough, it’s nice to know (and believe) that things happen for a reason. Facing life’s challenges becomes more bearable if I keep walking towards the end of the tunnel.

3. Good memories
I usually forget the bad things that happened to me or the unkind words that other people said to me. I’d like to think that everyone is kind, so I’d choose to only “absorb” the good things and good aspects of every person. This is still a work in progress, though. There are times when it’s really tough to forgive and forget…

How about you? What are the things that you won’t let go?

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Meme, Sentiments

Pick it up!

October 29th, 2007
{ 9 Comments }

Amor tagged me to join her recollection of embarrassing moments in college… hello Amor! ^-^

Being a very clumsy person, I had and still have lots of those moments that I so want to forget. Here’s one of those…

I was done with my classes that day, so I headed to Ayala Center – Cebu to window-shop. My boarding house was near the school but I decided to go to the mall, still wearing my uniform. I usually make sure that I have enough money before going inside a restaurant, but as I grabbed my coin purse, I wasn’t aware that it was open and I was holding it up-side down. Before I even realized it, all the coins “jumped out” of my wallet and rolled in every direction. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me but I had no choice but to run after the coins! And it took me a while before I gathered everything because I was wearing my pencil-cut skirt uniform and my 2-inch high-heeled shoes!

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Meme, Ooopppssss

PhotoHunt: Pink

October 26th, 2007
{ 37 Comments }

I’d been planning to take a picture of a ???? (karaoke) house somewhere in Osaka. Its walls, banners, and posters are all in pink! However, I’d been putting it off and it’s already Saturday!So, once again, I’m leaving you a picture of Shaynna, cuddled in her favorite comforter. She couldn’t sleep without either of her favorite comforters (the other one’s blue). Even now that she’d turned 3, she couldn’t part with her beloved comforters. ^-^

Actual date: August 2005 (I forgot again to adjust the date)


Perhaps I could post the karaoke house’s picture later. ;)
Thank you for dropping by and enjoy your weekend! ^-^
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Photohunt, Shaynna

Bike Matters

October 25th, 2007
{ 8 Comments }
I was originally planning on posting this one…

You got it right! I want to start a campaign against bicycle violence… just kidding. ^-^ It’s just that almost every time I pick up my bike from the train station, I find it lying on the ground. And just recently, its bell was broken and I had to replace it. Perhaps it was again smashed against other bicycles. I just pity my bike… (I treat my bike as my buddy. he he..)

Ok, let’s forget about that “no to bike violence” thing. Last night, after I got off from the train, I’d been thoroughly fumbling inside my bag to look for the bike key but couldn’t find it. Maybe I left it hanging from its lock? So I hurried to where it was located, but I was not totally worried about someone “taking” it. As I have anticipated, I saw my bike, exactly where I left it. Still standing, with the key still stuck in the lock…

Many people here just “pull out” their bike and don’t care what happens to the other bikes… but, after once again benefiting from their honesty, I’m no longer as agitated as before… ^-^

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Experiences in Japan, Japan: exposed

What’s new in Iligan?

October 25th, 2007
{ 3 Comments }

Iligan City have been dubbed as the City of Majestic Waterfalls and the Industrial City of the South (I don’t know if the second one still applies since many of the factories were closed down). I love the place very much and I’m proud to still call Iligan/Lanao del Norte as home.

However, for those who are used to hanging out in the malls, Iligan City can be a bit boring: not a single shopping mall around and no decent theatre house. Only just a few years ago, some fastfood chains (Jollibee and Chowking) were put up. We even have to go to Cagayan de Oro City or Ozamis City to find better and wider-range choices of stuffs.

All we have are department stores such as Gaisano, Jerry’s and Trendline. No store bigger than Gaisano’s 3-storey building. But I guess everything will change now. Much to the excitement of the people of Lanao del Norte (and me!), the Gaisano Mall construction is on the way. And it is rumored to open on December!

I hope it would really look like this one… but then, anything that’s higher than a 3-storey is more than we could ever hope for. ^-^ (This one’s a 6-storey, by the way.)


Hehehe… excited intawn ang probinsyanang si Inday Shiera… ^-^
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Philippines

My Father, Our Hero

October 23rd, 2007
{ 15 Comments }

He came from a big family, and a poor one at that. His father was only a fisherman and his mother was a housewife. However, he was not content at ending up like his father. So he did his best to go beyond high school – fishing at night and going to a technical school at day. A pair of slippers was a luxury so he had to go to school barefoot and only wear his only pair at school. He even took the work as a laborer at the port of Tagbilaran City to pay for tuition.

But all these wasn’t enough so he moved to Iligan City to work at a factory. He met my mother, they got married, while he and my mother continued their way to finish college. Due to his hardwork, he was also taken in as a regular employee and moved up in rank at that factory.

Their family started to grow (with the arrival of 3 children, me, on top of the list) and decided that it’s not good to just rent off a room. He was given an opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia. He chose to leave his family and go to a foreign land to give us better choices. And true indeed, we were given far better choices than he and his siblings had.

My father was the only one among his family who was able to go to college. I could also say that we led an easier life compared to our cousins. Thanks to my father’s hardwork and his love for his family… if it not for him, and of course, with the help of my mother, I wouldn’t be here…

Today is my father’s 60th birthday. For 27 years of being my father, I’d say that I could never ask for a better father. For me, he’s the best father in the whole world. ^-^ No matter how many times I fall, he’s always beside me, urging me to go on…

Thank you very much Papa Pael… we love you very much!
Happy Birthday!

My father stopped working in Saudi Arabia years ago. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. More than 10 years of being away from my mother is more than enough. Now, it’s my time to bring the torch. ^-^

* The picture above was taken 24 years ago – my father, my mother, and me. ^-^

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Family

Kidneys: What about them?

October 23rd, 2007
{ 3 Comments }

Many of us are taking our health for granted. At times, we give more attention to the body parts that we could plainly see. Have you lately wonder how are your kidneys doing?

Well, I am. Especially because a very close aunt and an uncle died because of kidney failure. And recently, I was told that a neighbor died due to the same ailment. That neighbor lost her husband 2 years ago due to kidney failure also.

I’ve done some research and I’m sharing with you what I learned:

Facts:
The kidney are powerful chemical factories that perform the following functions:

  • remove waste products from the body
  • remove drugs from the body
  • balance the body’s fluids
  • release hormones that regulate blood pressure
  • produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
  • control the production of red blood cells

Chronic Kidney Disease:
This is having some type of kidney abnormality such as protein in the urine, and having decreased kidney function for three months or longer.

Some of the common kidney diseases are: kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Polycystic kidney disease is characterized by the formation of kidney cysts that enlarge over time and may cause serious kidney damage and even kidney failure.

Chronic kidney disease may be brought about by diabetes, high blood pressure, congenital diseases, or some hereditary factors. Using large numbers of over-the-counter pain relievers for a long time, toxins, pesticides and illegal drugs such as heroin or crack are also harmful to the kidneys.

Detection:
Fortunately, chronic kidney diseases are easy to detect even at an early stage. Simple, routine tests of our urine, blood, and blood pressure can show early signs of kidney problems. Once detected, it is possible to slow down and even stop chronic kidney disease by taking medicines and changing some of our living habits.

How much do you know about kidneys?
You may take this *test* to evaluate how much you know about kidneys.

To know more about kidneys, please visit the following websites:
1. National Kidney Foundation
2. World Kidney Day

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Health

Revelations ABC

October 22nd, 2007
{ 10 Comments }

Got tagged by Era and Femickey. However, in most of the letters, I adapted Rolando’s style. I hope you won’t fall asleep while reading this… ^-^

Instructions:
Each player starts with some random facts/habits about himself/herself. As you are tagged you need to post the rules and your responses on your own blog. At the end of your post, you need to choose some people to tag, list their names and, of course, leave them a comment, telling they have been tagged and they need to read your blog for more information.

A - Becoming an architect or anything that has something to do with arts (drawing, painting, etc) is THE dream that I failed to pursue. But I’m still planning to study soon, even if it’s online. ^-^
B - My father came from Bohol. When my grandmother was still alive, we go there almost every summer.
C - When I was around 5-7 years old, I pestered my father to let me join a contest… a singing contest! But he didn’t allow me coz I was extremely out of tune!
D - I have 0% potential of becoming a Drama queen. I’m soooo poor at acting. :)
E - I want to tour around Europe before leaving this world. ;)
F - I’m scared of (live) fowls! I had many unfortunate events with these species when I was a little girl. But then, I love eating spicy, crispy, fried chicken. ^-^
G – Geraldine almost became my name! It’s the name of the vitamins my mother took when she was pregnant with me.
H - I don’t like watching horror movies.
I - I’m called “Inday” in my hometown! But its pronunciation is a bit different from the “Inday” you know. Don’t you guys ever call me Inday… hehehe
J – Japan is the first foreign country I’ve ever visited.
K - I was the secretary of K.L.A.B. Pilipino for 3 years (sophie->senior) -> Kapisanan nang mga Lasalistang .. (sorry, I forgot the rest). Anyway, it’s a Filipino Club.
L – Liempo and letchon baboy – my favorites of all favorites. ^-^
M – Marang and mangoes are two of my top 3 favorite fruits (Marang, mango, & durian).
N – Nokia 100 was my first cellphone (around 1996?). Remember those big, heavy, 2-line LCD monsters? I had to carry a backpack with me because it was impossible to just shove it in my pocket.
O – I first visited an optometrist at the age of 12.
P - I was born prematurely, at 7 months, like my father and my older brother, Ritchel. But then Ritchel died a week after he was born.
Q - When I was still a teenager… we even consulted a quack doctor about my pimples! Don’t you dare laugh at me… hahaha! It was my mother’s fault. ^-^
R - Do you know that I was a hopeless romantic? (and maybe, I still am… ^-^)
S - I think I say “Sumimasen” (Excuse me/I’m sorry) at least 20 times a day!
T - I loved carrying my T-square way back in college when we had our drafting classes.
U – Unknown Fact About Me: Super-sensitive? But I always try to hide it.
V – Vegetable You Hate: None so far.
W – “Wings” was the only family computer game that brought out teamwork between me and my brother.
X – X-rays You’ve had: average of once a year (employment requirement)
Y - I love yellow! But I’m not really fond of wearing something yellow. I just love looking at something that’s yellow. ^-^
Z – Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

I’m done! Are you still awake?
I’m not tagging anyone… but if you’d like to take on the challenge, please let me know.

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Meme

PhotoHunt: Practical

October 19th, 2007
{ 40 Comments }

Two other practical uses of a keyboard as discovered by Shaynna when she was 8 months old:

#1: As crying-stopper/toy:
#2: If turned over, could be a good foot/leg support:

But then, this busted keyboard immediately became obsolete when she noticed it was not connected to something and that nothing happens when she pressed the keys. Yup, we were only able to fool her for a short time. ^-^Since I could not reply through email (Blogger’s fault ^-^), I’d say my thanks here. ^-^

Thank you, friend, for dropping by and see you next Saturday!

Taken using Nikon Coolpix 5000. However, I was not able to set the date accordingly before using it. The exact date: August 2005.

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Photohunt, Shaynna

Is there still hope?

October 19th, 2007
{ 9 Comments }

I was 14 years old when I first visited Manila. Having spent my life in a rural area, I first thought it was really an awesome place: tall buildings, wider roads, more cars, and there’s the train! So my family and I got on the LRT and enjoyed the ride until we passed through the stinking Pasig River.

Ten years later, I visited Manila again and thanks to those Eco-groups, the Pasig river was no longer as stinky as before, and there are now small parks along the river banks. However, Pasig River is STILL biologically dead. According to the Eco-group Sagip Pasig, out of 421 rivers in the Philippines, 50 are in critical condition and half are classed as dead. Is there still hope for these rivers?

I was not surprised to find out that 70% of the pollution load in Pasig River today comes from human waste, and I think it’s the same everywhere in the country. Around 150 tons of domestic waste and 75 tons of industrial waste are still being dumped everyday in the river! If only the government could be strict in implementing the laws on environment protection to those industrial establishments (including rejecting bribery), that’d be 75 tons decrease in daily waste!

Stopping (or even minimizing) domestic wastes might be a very difficult task. The Eco-groups have started environment-awareness programmes in the communities along the rivers, but, people who have empty stomachs are most concerned on survival.

So, if we are to bring these dead rivers back to life, we must also fight poverty.

REFERENCES:
Pasig now one of world’s most polluted rivers
Inquirer.net, Lawrence de Guzman

Pasig River – Life After Death
www.ausaid.gov.au

Swimming in the World’s Most Polluted River
Sunday Mirror, Sarah Arnold

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Last October 15th was Blog Action Day:
“On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”
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