Christmas is here! The glitters, the twinkling lights, the colorful decor, the beautiful carols, and all the magical merriments... indeed, "it's the most wonderful time of the year"! Good cheers fill the air, and there is much merrymaking all around. It's that season when hearts open up to give and receive joy... sometimes in the form of gifts wrapped in colorful boxes and made so pretty by bows or sparkling little ornaments, or in the form of heartfelt wishes that seem to magically light up our world with much beautiful emotions that only the heart can define.
But for our family, Christmas is always been about Him - Christ. Christmas is all about Him... the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the greatest love that made it happen. I feel fortunate that, over the years, God has used me as an instrument of giving love to our family on the day of His only Son's birth. My nieces and nephews and their parents saw how Christmas became a tradition of a special day to express love, care, and familial affection. Over the years, they have started building their own families, and it is wonderful to see them keep the tradition in their own families. Most of them remember....
...and they come to visit on Christmas day to show their love, and it just absolutely warms the heart.
This year is very special because it is our first time to celebrate Christmas day at our new 'second home' in a City about 45km south of our 'primary home'. Of course, we spent Christmas Eve and had our Christmas Eve dinner in our primary home after attending Misa de Gallo. We then traveled to our second home on Christmas morning where my siblings and our nieces and nephews came to celebrate Christmas with us. It was only for a few hours of merrymaking as they have their own plans, too... but it was more than enough. It was enough to make us feel how blessed we are... and how God's love is in everyone's heart in our family - happiness, indeed! And we so love that little babe in that magical manger!
From our family to yours, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!! May God bless us all.
***
Image credit: All photos in this entry belong to me.
...on the beauty of gratitude (and an 'unsettling disruption').
==============================================
by PAM
In my world of Education 'industry', at least, this small part that is still not fully changed (or corrupted) by artificial intelligence (AI) to an unfeeling (too) data-centered 'industry'... where human connection and relation remains to be the means by which real intelligence is uncovered, nurtured towards natural flourishing, and enabled to help constitute the greater good, it is, indeed, a beautiful experience to be receiving a token of gratitude from those with whom we forged real connections.
I feel that we achieved a little success today. I received an email from a former student of ours at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) who just passed the November 2024 Licensure Examination for Civil Engineers. She started her journey in the Faculty as an Electrical Engineering student but decided that she wanted to pursue Civil Engineering instead. She then applied to change program. The Faculty is a student-centered academic unit (AU) that implements programs that support and enable students to grow to mature individuals that are able to discern and identify their strengths as basis of their decisions moving forward. As such, we guided her through the process of changing her program, and she did so successfully. When we let her know that her application was approved, she expressed delight and promised that she will become a full-fledged civil engineer. And she did.
"Ever Grateful, Ever Hopeful"
And what was the first thing (okay, maybe second... or third. Uhm, I gotta strong feeling that it's really fourth) she did after passing the Licensure Exam? Well, she sent that email above.
I always consider my profession as an educator and higher education institution (HEI) administrator as one that requires the accomplishment of so many (many, many) tasks... that are mostly 'thankless'. We do them anyway... well, I do them, anyway, because I do believe they are necessary and that they are worth-doing. The worth is not immediately realized but when it is realized... it's just the greatest of things... well, at the very least, among the greatest of things. There have been (many, many) times when I thought that our efforts in doing what we do are in vain. The 'system' is slowly 'diminishing' educators as mere 'facilitators' of learning whose place is on the 'sidelines' while learners take the center stage with all those blinding beams of light focused on them while the fakest of fake social media expect them to be perfect otherwise they are cancelled, gaslighted or just tossed to the pack of trolls. Uhm... it's no wonder why learners suffer from so much anxiety. Learning has become so daunting than ever before for students... that many of them fake learning... and they have a 'great' help in doing this: AI. All they have to do is take to social media, and post things that flatter many... including themselves. For some, mostly themselves. And when they are unable to sustain the flattery, their minds and spirits get gnawed by anxiety... and send them spiraling to depression. They suffer... and for what? Exactly - for nothing! It is because nothing much in that fake platform is ever true or sincere - 'enhanced' this, 'enhanced' that. And yet 'the system' pushes learners to its claws... and away from learning deeply, thoroughly, and meaningfully... and grow in gratitude, hope and love.
Educators are no longer regarded as 'partners' in the process of learning... learners' guide and companion in the beautiful journey of discovery... of continuous learning. After all, with all the fakery out there, all the more that guidance is necessary. However, we are expected to merely facilitate learning... anticipate learners' needs and be there when they cry for help... like paid nannies, poorly paid nannies, that is. We are no longer regarded as scholars, as scientists who inspire learners to explore the unknown, uncover the truth - whole truth and nothing but the truth. And yet, we are expected to 'deliver the goods' in terms of research publications - products of scholarly pursuits, that send the HEI that we serve to the top of global university rankings. Odd? No, not just odd... it's ironic!
So much irony these days, indeed. We invented AI to make our lives 'easier', and yet, the use of AI usually complicates our lives. Many of us lose the meaning of life (and good living) altogether. As we attempt to 'simplify' our lives through AI, our lives tend to become more complicated... and we expose ourselves to so much vulnerability, insecurity. And, as we load AI with the power to 'read our minds' and 'listen to our thoughts'... we feel more unsafe than ever before. No, I am not against AI per se. I believe that 'benign AI' is the product of human being's authentic intelligence and the benevolent desire to elevate the quality of human life. However, because of greed and the maniacal desire of others for recognition, fame, glory and money (and just the mere ignorance by some - plain and simple), AI has become an 'unsettling disruption' that sets fire to the natural order in human lives. As such, I am against using AI in ways that allow the decaying of our authentic humanity; and I absolutely oppose the promotion of the 'wonders' of AI that mislead the younger generations, depriving them to experience the authentic beauty of human life and their natural development to the wonderful individuals that they are meant to become.
🎶 "Most of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world." 🎶
Despite my frustrations in the overhyping of AI in the most misguided ways these days, I remain hopeful that this product of authentic human intelligence will be used wisely by the next generations. Not all is lost, and there is much yet to be gained.
Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
***
Image credit: The content of the screenshot email belongs to my former student.
Yep, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"... well, at least in my second home it is only 'beginning' to look a lot like Christmas, 'cause it's been looking a lot like Christmas in most parts of the Philippines since after 'Undas' (All Saints Day and All Souls Day). In most part of the country, it's been looking (and sounding) like Christmas since September!
We love Christmas in this part of the world. In fact, we did display our new little Nativity Scene
with a bunch of 'Christmassy' little things in our second home... also after Undas. Well, what can I say, we are Filipinos to the core, especially when it comes to celebrating Christmas!
We do believe that Christ is, indeed, the 'reason for the season'. And so, what is more important is preparing ourselves to renew our being one with our Lord. We prepare to accept the Baby Jesus in our homes, in our hearts and in our lives... and be renewed by the immeasurable love that is the very meaning of His birth. Therefore, before we get lost in the twinkles of glittering Christmas lights and the razzle-dazzle of Christmas parties, we remind ourselves of the true reason why we celebrate Christmas. And, usually, the Nativity Scene is the most important 'physical reminder'. So, in our family's practice, the nativity scene always comes first. Along with it is the Christmas wreath with advent candles - a reminder of how the whole Christian world come together in prayer to prepare for the birth of Jesus. All the rest of decorations come later. And, anyway, it is so complicated to put up Christmas tree and hang Christmas lights and other decorations... and getting them down and storing them away is even more painful! So, even if I did give in to 'national pressure' and put up Christmas tree and lights today, sometimes, I question myself about putting up Christmas decorations... well, aside from the nativity scene and Christmas wreath thats is. We only have two kids in our huge family now who still appreciate sparkly Christmas decors (uhm, at least, for a few minutes... and then back to their gadgets). All the rest are just a bunch of 'big kids'... who just want to sleep all day during Christmas break! 🙋😅
***
Image credit: All photos in this entry belong to me, and may not be used without permission.
"...and since I am currently one of the women sitting home thinking, 'if I could only find a man like Aragorn', he picked me.
- Lorelai Gilmore, "Gilmore Girls" S4:E22
I wasn't thinking of posting anything here today... or in the next few days, or maybe weeks. I have planned to spend my 'free time' just getting back to healthy state and just forgetting about work, or anything that requires an effort to not be the introvert that I truly am - regardless whether the reason for getting out of my 'introvert cocoon' is a family matter, friends matter or what have you. I planned of locking myself inside my own little introverted world and resume
binge-watching "Gilmore Girls" (GG) on Netflix... and ignore the (ignorable) fact that there is a whole wide world out there... a teeny tiny part of which is curious whether I am still alive or have ceased existing altogether.
And then GG S4:E22 came on - an episode where Lorelai was contemplating dating her long-time dependable and permanent ('cause nothing much in Lorelai's life is permanent, except the love between her and her daughter, Rory) friend, Luke Danes. In the previous episode, Lorelai and Luke attended Luke's sister's wedding... and they 'oddly' hit it off as they danced at the reception... and after Luke realized in the middle of listening to a self-help audio book that at every important point in his life (good or bad) in the last (almost) two decades, there has always been that one person he would like to share it with - Lorelai. Hence, the odd feeling of being together at the wedding, and saying goodbye afterwards at Lorelai's doorstep... which did not escape Lorelai. So, in E22, she was dissecting the situation with Rory... trying to determine whether Luke would really like to date her, or just taking pity on her newly single self (again) after her last relationship ended abruptly due to 'family complications', which is almost always the case for Lorelai's lovelife.
Ah... that caught your attention, didn't it? Lovelife! You think I'd be talking about my own lovelife here. Well, I am sorry to disappoint but I do not have a lovelife, at least, not the romantic kind that you might be expecting... and therefore, there is nothing of the sort to talk about here. That's the reality, my reality. It's a good reality, too, and I'm happy. So, deal and move on!
***
Thinking of Aragorn in a universe parallel with Lorelai Gilmore's
What caught my attention in GG S4:E22 is Lorelai's mention of Aragorn from the "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR). I've seen this scene before... but it still caught me by surprise. I blame my current (and, perhaps, forever) 'single blessedness' to him, Aragorn. He is so dashing, brave, intelligent, incredible leader, and just about perfect, especially as portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in the series of films by Peter Jackson. That 'Aragorn speech' at the Black Gate in "LOTR: The Return of the King" (LOTR:TROTK) alone, and the courage he showed to make good his speech all throughout the film series, especially in that monumental Battle of Helm's Deep in "LOTR: Two Towers", and in the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, will forever haunt me, and will always be the standard on which men should be measured... in my book.
"Hold your ground, hold your ground... this day we fight!"
So, if this scene from LOTR:TROTK made many women in this world, including the fictitious Lorelai Gilmore, to expect even the smallest hint of perfection in men, can you blame them? Can you blame us? Still speechless in amazement? Uhm, yeah... that's what I thought!
Alright, back to GG... and the thoughts of Aragorn. Oy!
Ciao!
***
Video Credit: Thanks, Youtube, for the video link.
And here we go again... down with the flu. Man... insane.
And as flu caught me alone in my second home, I have no
A sick person's meal, prepared by the sick person.
choice but to tend to myself. I have been cooking my meals even when I feel like I am unable to lift the spatula. I know I could just order food... but that's a lot of wrappers and wrappers and packaging and packaging, layer after layer - too much waste, I can't bare it... especially after enduring that 'parade of typhoons' that hit the Philippines over the last few weeks. No, thank you. It is time to take action and contribute in mitigating climate change... no matter how small the contribution is, it is still a step towards the right direction. So, yeah, I'll do my best to cook. So far, I am able to manage... without aggravating my health condition... I think... uhm, I hope! 😅 The effort is real, and the hunger that builds up while cooking progressed so very (very) slowly is like Smaug himself waiting to devour Bilbo Baggins!
One of the things that I really, really hate about coming down with the flu is that flu usually goes with a sore throat. And if one had been terribly abusive of one's health (hence, the flu in the first place), the sore throat can be so terrible that it goes with a 'shut-off vocal cords'. Air is blocked completely from creating sound waves... one can't make the smallest of sound no matter how hard one tries to scream. It is totally frustrating that I just want to stuff my mouth with food to compensate... but swallowing is a labor, too. So, yeah... did I mention frustrating? 'Cause it is!
***
The voiceless pain
Feverish, mightily uncomfortable from body ache and painful throat, dizzy and weak, watery eyes and no voice... that's me today. And I am very, very frustrated. 😞 As I write this post this very moment, I am binge-watching one of my ultimate favorite TV shows, the "Gilmore Girls" (GG) series, because I have been so bored staring at the ceiling in my bed. And I am extremely frustrated that I am unable to sing along with the show's theme song, "Where you Lead" by the brilliant Carole King (CK).
🎶"I always wanted a real home with flowers in the window sill.
Well, if you wanna live in Stars Hollow, baby, you know I will...
Where you lead, I will follow, anywhere that you tell me to...."🎶
I do enjoy singing the theme song. In fact, for hardcore Stars Hollow fans, it is one of the highlights of watching GG. Every episode begins with some sort of an overview of what the next 45 minutes will be about... and then just when you are about to say, "huh? What? Whaaat??", the theme song rolls in, and you know you are, indeed, at the right place. So, you cozy up with a bucket of popcorn on your lap, and all other concerns in life far, far away from your mind. Every episode also ends with some sort of an "aaaww" or an "oh, nooo" moment that made us want to speed up the week back in the early 2000s in order to see the next episode. These days, with Netflix stringing the episodes per season in a binge-worthy array, the "aaawww" or "oh, no" moment is followed real fast by the "whaaaat" moment. And something has to relieve a fan from such heightened emotion. I guess I do not have to emphasize that the relief comes from the theme song. A moment when one's sanity says bye-bye momentarily as one sings along with the fabulous CK while watching highlights of the show.
So, imagine how painful it is for an avid GG fan like myself when he/she is unable to get the smallest of sound to sing along with CK - argh, torture!
***
The sweetness of working from home
As I mentioned before, I have been appreciating my new surroundings in my second home, close to my new primary workplace. I have been realizing in the past days as I work from home
Through the sheer curtain at the window, it seems that something is 'on fire' outside. But it is just the sunset... in its glorious beauty.
that wherever I sit to work in my new home, I see the very green sceneries outside through the 'countless' windows we have. I have been complaining to my sister that I have no blank walls to hang paintings and pictures, and there are very few spaces where I can park my favorite art pieces. These days, I am beginning to accept... and appreciate the big windows that allow me to see my green surroundings. At the moment, that relieves my painful and watery eyes, and I'm grateful. The small lanai by the side of the house, or the small backyard, allows me to soak in the healing warmth of sunrise. Also, in many places where I can sit to work in the afternoon while I eat snacks before taking medicine (again), I have a view of the lovely sunset in this part of the world... and enjoying the sunset is one of my 'guilty pleasures'. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy these things... even if what afforded me to enjoy them is a health issue. There is always something good in any of our experiences. Sometimes the goodness is an immediate outcome that we can enjoy, other times, we need to dig deep to discover it. And the greatest gift is experiencing goodness without having to dig too deep. These days, I appreciate that enjoying sunrise and/or sunset does not require digging deep. So, again, I am grateful.
My 'voiceless pain'... or 'painful voicelessness' is kind of taken over by the sweetness of working from home... even when the reason for working from home is the 'voiceless pain'. And yes, I am grateful. Indeed, I am.
If you have gotten this far, uhm... I am so sorry but did I just waste three minutes of your life? I did? I knew it! I am extra-incoherent today. But, hey, I am grateful... to you for enduring my incoherence. I appreciate you.
*** Image credit: The photos in this post are mine. I took them, they belong to me.
'The best things in life are free...' Nature's unadulterated colors are simply the most naturally breath-taking.
These days, I feel that I am on my way to striking a balance between life and work... with life gaining a bit more of its lost ground to work in the past years. This is because I am spending more and more time in my 'second home' - close to my 'new work assignment'.
Traffic is almost of zero consequence here in my 'second home'. Although the distance between my 'primary home' and my 'older workplace' (I have two offices) in Metro-Manila is almost the same as the distance between my 'second home' and my 'new work place', the time I spend in traffic these days is nothing compared to the traffic that I endure when I am in Metro-Manila. I can leave home 15-20 minutes before my call time at my 'new workplace', and make it there on time, unhurriedly. The same when I go home, I only need about 15 minutes to reach home. In Metro-Manila, I allot 1 to 1.5 hours for traffic on my way to work, depending on the time of day. In the afternoon/evening, when I go home, travel time is usually 1.5 to 2 hours even when I leave my workplace at 8:00 in the evening! It has become so ridiculous and senseless to live in Metro-Manila, especially if there is a better option.
So, these days, I have time to sit by the patio, take a deep breath, read a little bit (that's leisure reading, mind you!) while JungKook sings in the background, and take notice of and appreciate how beautiful the skies are in this part of the world... well, my entire surrounding actually. Time affords me this 'luxury', and this new place affords me time without sacrificing the comforts and convenience of an ultra-modern life... and I am, indeed, grateful. 🙏
***
Image credit: The photo above belongs to me, I took it.
Having so much fun in the thick of preparations at the construction site for the
UST-Dr. William T. Belo Interdisciplinary Research Institute (UST-WiTBIRIn)
in the campus of the University of Santa Tomas in the City of Santa Rosa, Province of Laguna.
These past days, one can say that, yes, I am 'in my element'. Finally, the 'boring' phase of my 'new job' has dissipated, and now, my Team is entering a zone where we all can be 'in the zone', indeed! Construction of the second building in our new campus is about to go on 'full swing'. And I hope that before we're done constructing it, we would be ready to begin the third... and the fourth after that... and the fifth... and so on - I hope. We have five years to build the 'necessary buildings', and 15 years or so to develop the campus in its 'first iteration'.
I often enjoy the 'planning stage' of any project, or any 'mission', especially when it is a pioneering endeavor. So, naturally, when our Office was created just two years ago upon my return from my one-year Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship at Penn State University, Cornell University and Boise State University, I had a great time thinking, researching and talking to many people, planning, designing, and building the foundation of our Office, which begins from building the Team ... and hoping and dreaming of the best outcomes - dreaming mostly.
One of the things that I love about this process is meeting like-minded people, and more so, people of very little to zero faith in what our 'mission' is about. The former reinforce our courage to keep believing and diving into the unknown, and the latter, serve as reminders to persevere and keep the faith if good results have to be had. In our current construction project, there are a few 'non-believers'. Unfortunately, they are the most exasperating ones... so, it has been very, very tough, indeed. It was so mightily boring to spend so much time and effort to make them see things from a different perspective, and to acknowledge that there are other ways of accomplishing things. Just because a method is 'tried and tested' does not mean that it can be applied on all things and in all situations. And that a 'seat of authority' is not always a seat of infallibility. In many cases, it is a seat that allows one to serve better and to serve more people. Very fortunately, I do have an incredible Team... they make me feel that not every battle is mine to fight... or fight alone. So, yep, I am lovin' my Team, and I am lovin' our pace despite the challenges! And when we do occasionally achieve something significant, we remind ourselves that we can see many wonderful things from our vantage point only because we 'stand on the shoulders of giants'.
So, this week, our current construction project, the UST-Dr. William T. Belo Interdisciplinary Research Institute (UST-WiTBIRIn), reached a milestone. And we are, indeed, very happy and absolutely grateful. Faith, perseverance and teamwork do pay off. And, I am celebrating here through The Script's music, "Hall of Fame" just like how the namesake of the building that we are constructing (the 'giant' on whose shoulders we stand, in this case) is in our UST Engineering Hall of Fame...
"Yeah, do it for your people, do it for your pride.
Are you ever gonna know if you never even try?"
***
Image credit: The photos in the collage were borrowed from colleagues and used here with their permission - thanks.
After speaking in my recent post here about how Duran Duran and their contemporaries in the second 'British Invasion' dominated the beginning of the MTV era in the '80s, I got reminded of the iconic collaboration between one of the best guitarists the world has ever seen, Mark Knopfler, and his famous band, Dire Straits, and the one and only legend himself, Sting. Their song is called, "Money for Nothing"... which started with Sting filling the airwaves with his peculiar voice declaring how he wants his MTV. And the very best time they shared the stage to perform their iconic song is at the historic Live Aidconcert on 13 July 1985 in front of 72,000 people at the Wembley Stadium in London while 100,000 more watched them live via satellite from the other venue of Live Aid, at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, PA. It was watched all over the globe via satellite... and it dropped on our TV set in the Philippines, too. And what an amazing experience it was!
"Listen here, now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it. You play the guitar on the MTV. That ain't workin' that's the way you do it. Money for nothin' and your chicks for free."
The Live Aid concert was the coming together of the greatest music artists of the '80s across the Atlantic, organized by Sir Bob Geldof of the Irish band, Boomtown Rats, of the "I don't like Mondays" fame, and the Scottish musician, Midge Ure of Ultravox, to raise funds for and awareness of the famine in Ethiopia, Africa. It started with the gathering of the frontrunners in the 'British Invasion 2' as a 'charity supergroup' called, Band Aid, to record the song, "Do they know it's Christmas?" (DTKIC) in 1984. I remember, I was freshman in College. I stepped out of my classroom one December morning to listen to it when it was played for the first time on radio... because I knew it was history unfolding.
One of the very best performances at Live Aid happened in Wembley Stadium. It was that of Queen with their larger-than-life late frontman, Freddie Mercury, showing why they are one of the very best music legends of all time. And, of course, the genius guitar player that is Sir Brian Mayshowed up, too, as well as their painfully awesome drummer, Roger Taylor, and their great bass player, John Deacon, strutted his thing on stage, too.
"Mama, ohh, didn't mean to make you cry. If I'm not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters."
Ahh... didn't that make you feel nostalgic? And speaking of MTV and other music media that sort of pushed back that classic music medium that endured many generations: the good old radio, how does this make you feel...
"You had your time, you had the power, you've yet to have your finest hour. Radio, radio..."
Ahh... man, what I wouldn't do to go back to the '80s! Queen is too good, right? Right! Alright!
Of course, the great Irish band, U2, with their legend of a frontman, Bono, and their legend of a guitarist, The Edge, also made their mark in Wembley as they performed two of their greatest hits, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bad".
"How long, how long must we sing this song? ...'cause tonight we can be as one..."
Powerful, isn't it? Then and now, U2 and U2 music are just so iconic... in so many ways. They are absolutely brilliant! I saw them in the Manila leg of their Joshua Tree World Tour... and I lost it, I wept!
Let me end with a song that was staple in the '80s, "Everytime you go away", by the owner of the voice who sang the first line in DTKIC, Paul Young. He just turned 68 yo... and he just got married for the second time, too.
Ah... there so many challenges in this world, but with great music such as these, it just makes our burden a bit lighter. Thank goodness for good music, and thank God for brilliant music artists!
***
Video credit: All videos belong to Live Aid - thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
All these 'whispers' about one of my favorite bands ever, Duran Duran (DD), coming to the Philippines to give our current President a private performance on his 67th birthday is just distressing! It is putting DD in bad light. However, until I hear DD's side of the story, I give them the benefit of the doubt, and I remain a loyal Durannie!
Anyway, I am now reminded about a milestone in DD's career that I missed to chronicle here. Now, after enduring a very long week, indeed, I am definitely in the mood to talk about them and listen to their old and most current songs... and watch some of those interviews that show what incredible artists they are, indeed. So, yep, it's a Friday Night Music time!
One of the things that my 'rock chick' self is very proud of is that day when I finally managed to set foot on the 'hallowed grounds' of Rock Hall - home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), in Cleveland, OH back in July 2019. It was incredible... I absolutely went crazy! But what is crazier is that, two years ago, the stars did align... and Duran Duran was inducted to the Hall of Fame, Performance Category, to join the illustrious RRHOF Class of 2022 with the likes of Carly Simon, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, Eminem and Dolly Parton. The all-British band that originated from Birminghan, England was inducted to the RRHOF by none other than Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr... thank you very much!
"The origin (of the) story of this iconic band comes down to two words: confidence and faith... and the fact that they have always been transparent about being a work in progress like we all are, I feel that's why I adore these men. That's the gift they've given us. They bestowed that on their fans: permission to grow, and change, and age out of one mode and embrace the next... I'm grateful that these gifted souls are finally receiving long-deserved cementing of their legacy."
Listening to them accept their award brought back a deluge of memories from those days when my siblings and I would wait patiently for the publication of our favorite music magazines to see articles about Duran Duran... and to see whether our comments from the previous issue, which we sent via snail mail would be featured in the latest issue; and those days when we worked ferociously on our school homeworks in order to merit watching MTV and American Top 40, and all other shows that might feature them, their songs and their music videos... as our late Mother has the "undone homework, no TV" policy. In a way, Duran Duran and our other favorite music artists helped us become good students. Duran Duran were one of the first few artists that made MTV the iconic music platform that it is today. As such, they revolutionized the music industry... and I am glad to be a part of that revolution!
Some forty years later... here we all are, finally seeing Duran Duran get inducted to the RRHOF. What a milestone - for them and for us, Durannies!
"I am so very proud of these four brothers... the essence of our job is this: we get to make people feel better about themselves... music nourished us and gave us identities... we finally got here, it's a long way from Birmingham - thanks a lot... we are all driven by fans, and we were fans - thank you to all the fans."
While I got to see them perform live at the height of their fame in 1989 at the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippine segment of their "Arena" World Tour, I may never afford to have them perform for me privately on my birthday. It is enough though that I have been a loyal fan for more than four decades now, and my siblings and I have an incredible amount of memorabilia and a vault in our heads full of great memories as we grew with this band... and as they kept going until passing this incredible milestone.
Ahh... the rhythm section is tight, tight, tight!Whew!How is it possible that they sound even better now than some forty years ago? I am sure that this is a product of hard work in continuously polishing their gifts as music artists. Ah, such a commitment to one's craft - amazing! I am sure that, brilliant music artists that they are, their journey continues... and our own journey as Durannies continues as well, and that feels absolutely fantastic!
***
Video credit: The videos are from the RRHOF website - thanks, YouTube for the video links.
Crisp outside, light and airy inside... and many more... that is all good!
A very long introduction...
Living alone has its benefits, the most important of which - at least, for me - is the opportunity to savor solitude.
I like solitude, I enjoy it. These days, I realized that the one company I never get bored of is my own. No, that is not being self-important, self-centered nor being selfish. It's just my love for the quiet. I'd much rather listen to the sound of my own silent thoughts, and of others' whose quiet thoughts are in harmony with mine, than to be confused in the dizzying chaos of a many multitude of opinions and 'great ideas' from so many, many (many, many... many) 'brilliant individuals'. Today's basis of 'brilliance' has eluded me hopelessly... and I do not believe I have the energy, nor the time, to embark on a greatly futile journey and the great hopelessness of ever finding it. So, I decided to just take the opposite route... the route of quietness - the beautiful moments of stillness of an unhurried living... with ample time to walk silently as one pays attention to one's surroundings... and be filled with wonder. That is not to say that I don't enjoy being in the company of people with whom I share the appreciation of meaningful conversations... and fun endeavors that touch the soul and make the spirit soar!
I like reflection, quiet reflection... and I enjoy discernment. I like long walks... and prayers while I walk. These days, as I walk around my new neighborhood, I like admiring those green canopies above me that those marvelous trees make as they reach out to join their long and graceful branches from each side of the road. I like sipping coffee quietly as I read a good book at the front porch, and once in a while looking up to marvel at the clouds and the incredible beauty of the blue skies behind them. Yes, I do have time to contemplate these days... or, rather, I can afford to make time for contemplation these days... and I am, indeed, very grateful. But that is a story for another time. Today, I am just being the foodie me.
Finally, the 'foodie' part...
As I mentioned in another post on this blog, I now have a 'second home', which is very close to a new 'second work location'. I usually live alone in the second home. I was dreading it before... but now, I am beginning to appreciate it.
These days, I am discovering that another benefit of living alone is being able to choose to eat what one craves without having to feel guilty that others may not appreciate one's cravings. The other day, I was suddenly reminded of Italy, and the unforgettable trip that I took over there some years back.
Spaghetti - Filipino style
And that made me crave Italian food... specifically, my favorite Italian bread: ciabatta. So, I dropped by one of my favorite specialty stores, Santis Delicatessen, to pick up a loaf of ciabatta and a box of spaghetti pasta. Ah, ciabatta is so good, especially when dipped in olive oil with a dash of balsamic vinegar. While I love this very Italian bread for its light and airy texture inside and its crisp thin crust, I decided to make my spaghetti 'Filipino style', which is with red sweet sauce. I tried re-living my childhood days, enjoying sweet meaty spaghetti complete with slices of hotdog. I 'cheated' a little... and bought a ready-to-use spaghetti sauce... just to save time. Again, this is one of the perks of living alone, you can decide whichever way you want to prepare your food without making anyone roll their eyes. Uhm, wait... are you rolling your eyes right now? If you are, well... aren't you glad you're not living with me?
Ah, the mind meanders and stopped at the 'Bridgerton station'...
All and all, I had a splendid time eating my Mediterranean-meets-Southeast-Asian meal while I watch "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" (QC) on Netflix for the nth time... which is a story for another time. Ah, dear reader, you didn't think I'd stay quiet about Bridgerton - the version so 'mangled' by Netflix, huh? No way! I am a fan - of the original and authentic Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn(JQ)... but not so much of the 'mangled' version by Netflix. But I do like QC, which is not a part of JQ's Bridgerton series. I think that the reason why QC was so good is because it stole, er, 'borrowed' many of the good things in the original Bridgerton series by JQ... which were omitted in the Netflix (mangled) version. Especially noticeable for me was how QC borrowed many beautiful moments from "The Viscount Who Loved Me" (TVWLM)- the second of the Bridgerton series by JQ. The reason why I know... well, it's because I so loved TVWLM in the JQ series. I read it at least five times! And the feeling I got while reading the tenderly special moments were the very same feeling that I had while watching the special moments in QC... and which I never felt in the Netflix 'mangled' version of TVWLM. And, the young King George III (KG3) in QC, uhm, on his sane moments, that is, is almost the exact same image of Colin Bridgerton in my head, except that KG3 did not have green eyes and his hair was not longish and curly. But the beautiful smile, the wit, and all that charisma... ah, they're all so Colin.
I hope that Netflix does not mangle "An Offer from a Gentleman" - Benedict's story - as much as they did the previous books in the upcoming Season 4 of Bridgerton. In case I have not been clear previously... let me be clear this time. This is a 'warning' from us, avid and loyal Bridgerton fans, Netflix! Leave the beautiful story alone!
But I digress... I did enjoy my spaghetti with my ciabatta. I think that is all the point I am making here, which took me forever to say. Hahaha... sorry, 'gentle reader'.
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Image credit: I own all the photos in this post as I took all of them.
in my 'second home' and in my 'other' new workplace.
These days, I am getting used to waking up in the morning with the view of the skies about to let go of of the gray colors of dawn in anticipation of the arrival of sunrise. It's such a beautiful scene... that sometimes, I stay transfixed on my bed staring at the scene in the window by my bed with nothing but the sound of my own breath and the happy chirping of the birds - so serene... until the sun finally burst in the horizon, slowly makes its way to the sky, brightening and intensifying the hues of the colorful surroundings, slowly spreading its fingers on the green, green grass visible in the opposite window until the last drop of mist disappears into the thinning air. I cannot help but be filled with awe... and, everytime, it makes me wonder what magnificent luck life is about to reveal to me in the horizon of the day that just began. Such wonderment puts a spring on my strides... and I go about my day with such excitement amid the serenity around me.
The sky as it welcomes the sun at sunrise - viewed from my bed through my window
The trip from my new (second) home to my workplace is about 6km but I am, usually, able to cover the distance in only 10 minutes or so, regardless of the time of day... usually, it just takes two BTS songs. From my new workplace, I am getting used to switching off my work gadgets as the air gently sways outside, making the branches of the seemingly countless trees and thick bushes around the building sway rhythmically as the chirping of the birds heightens, and the sound of crickets slowly blend in. I make my way out of the building where I work while the skies make play of its fast-changing colors... from blue to various shades of orange as the sun makes its way into the depth of the horizon... or red, if the skies are generous enough to promise a beautiful day by the next sunrise.
My new workplace will be the seat of the 'highest' of high-technology to be developed by Thomasian scientists and innovators in the future. It will be a buzzling place for interdisciplinary research for my University with its partners and stakeholders. As we have a highly comprehensive University, just thinking about the extent of interdisciplinarity of our research and innovation activities in the future graces my imagination with a bonfire of ideas - very exhilarating! But, of course, I make effort to rein in the excitement lest I resort to 'counting the chicks before the eggs hatch'. So, I continue to work hard and persevere with my awesome Team in transforming that vast space that we have into what the future needs.
One day... nature and technology shall come together in a beautiful harmony that attempts to sketch God's generosity and wisdom. The attempt shall fail, of course, as God's generosity and wisdom are boundless, and our attempt is merely to narrowly estimate... but the attempt shall be our way of expressing gratitude... and commitment to keep trying as we make ourselves worthy of, one day, seeing God's kingdom where the true beautiful harmony can be experienced... and not just estimated.
Until then, we dream, we persevere... and we bask in the beauty of the experience.
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Image credit: All the photos in the collage above and the individual photos belong to me. I took them all.
I heard that quote in the photo collage above sometime ago. I'm not sure from which movie but I'm pretty sure it was a Hallmark TV movie. As I said over and over in the past few entries in this blog, my 'film-critique-wannabe' days are over. I watch movies to relax and be entertained these days... and TV movies are now 'my thing'. Anyway, I got reminded of that quote because, today, I felt that I saw 'soul and perfection' in what was otherwise 'common and familiar'.
Today, I spent 12 hours with the elder of my two nephews. We did what we love doing: long drive, eat good food, talk - a looot, and laugh our hearts out. We used to do this a lot with his siblings and cousinswhen he was growing up. We spent many days and hours going around nearby cities and vacation places - to relax, unwind, learn new things, go on adventure, go on foodie spree and shopping spree, just to be together... just making sweet memories. The only difference is, we used to be driven around by our family driver. This time, my nephew did all the driving... especially that when he let me take the steering wheel, our car flew from the street to someone's backyard! 😬😳😅
As I am 'partially' moving to a new little house outside Metro-Manila (for work), he helped me take care of a few chores such as furniture and appliances shopping, supervising and helping out as the builders add finishing touches to the new house. I think I will need another year or so to get the house in the shape that I need it to be but, for now, given the urgency of the need for me to be working in the new site, the mere essentials are good. To run errands for the home is merely an 'excuse' for me. What I really looked forward to doing today was spending time with my nephew... which I hadn't done in such a long time. So when he sent that one-line message, "I'll see you on Saturday, Tita," without any sort of introduction... I think anyone can hear my smile from ear to ear in my own one-liner: "Alright!" Well, uhm, I had to play it cool, y'know.
I missed my nephew. He is more handsome than I remember - very tall and good-looking in a very casual and relaxed way... and very articulate, too. I didn't realize how mature he has become at merely 25 years... he has a good job, a very good relationship with a wonderful young woman that he loves and who loves him, too... and by all the stories he told me, it seems that his heart is still in the right place - despite his success and a sweet young love that turns a new leaf everyday and that so many people of his age can only dream of. I am a very proud aunt - totally!
Sometimes, I think of the days that I might have spent for 'my own personal happiness', which were spent in another way in order that every member of my family would realize their dreams. In days like today, I realize that this is my personal happiness... seeing my loved ones, such as my nephew, enjoy the happiness that they so deserved. I am just too happy and grateful to God that I could feel this incredible feeling of having my heart swell with so much love, joy and pride. It feels like an ordinary day turns into something special - soulful and just perfect!
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Image credit: All photos in the collage above are mine.
"'Lightning in a bottle'... it's about you, Class of 2024. It's your story...
every step is an eloquent sentence in this beautiful narrative that is your story."
Nope, not yet time for 'Saturday Photo'. It's just that a few days ago, 18 June 2024 to be exact, I had the incredible opportunity to serve as the Presiding Official at the Solemn Investiture of the candidates for degrees of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion. That was my second time to have such an incredible opportunity. The first time was last year at the Solemn Investiture rites for the UST Faculty of Engineering.
Just like the first time at the Faculty of Engineering, I had so much fun meeting CTHM's Class of 2024 and their parents - on stage. Although, also just like the first time, I had many sleepless nights days before the event. I was so nervous, I was unable to eat, sleep, or concentrate at all on even the smallest stuff on my plate. There were instances when I'd freeze just thinking about what to say in my Address of Concession, and whether I'd be able to say the formula correctly in the Degree Conferment part. I was so stressed out the whole time. When the moment came, however, it was heavenly.
The Class of 2024 is a very special cohort of learners in my University. They started their freshman year in August 2020 - at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They came in on a fully online mode of teaching and learning. Even their 'Freshman Walk' - one of our most important traditions in the University, which is part of the Freshman Orientation activities, was held virtually as well. After that, they had to go through a couple of years of virtual instruction. Very fortunately, my University has a very robust e-learning system. We have been using Blackboard as our learning management system (LMS) twenty years prior. Despite that, it was still challenging as we needed to ensure that everyone had stable internet connection, and that they had gadgets with sufficient features to enable them to participate in the virtual classes. It's a good thing that the community spirit in the University helped us overcome the challenges. It wasn't perfect, but we know that we did everything possible to make the experience of our Class of 2024 as good as the more conventional teaching and learning mode that is only balanced by the use of technology through our LMS.
A daunting duty... but so worth it!
To capture the essence of our Class of 2024's remarkable resilience in enduring the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 in a seven-minute Concession Address was such a tall order for me. So much so that so many times, I felt like I was not equal to the task. I prayed so hard for the Holy Spirit to lend me wisdom and grant me the inspiration to come up with the right words to say that can sum up the Graduating Class's experience as 'the pandemic Class' so that they (and their loved ones) can all relate, and feel that that was truly their very own special day.
And then, one night, as I was re-watching the footages of their Baccalaureate Mass in bed, I saw something that sparked inspiration. It was an image of a group of graduates smiling so happily amid all the lights from their candles and the fireworks above them... their faces seemed to radiate from the light of the candles that they held. More images later... something 'clicked' in my heart and in my head. I whispered, "Lord, what are they holding? It's so radiant... like 'lightning in a bottle'?" I opened the Notes App on my smart phone... and before I knew it, I had paragraphs after paragraphs of write-up, all revolving around the 'lightning in a bottle' idea.
I started with: "With how your faces shone in the illuminating light from your candles, you appeared like you were holding a 'bottle of lightning'. Ever heard of that expression, 'catching a lightning in a bottle'? It's an idiomatic expression that means, 'accomplishing something that is extraordinarily difficult'. Look it up, it's a thing! It's a thing because... it's about you. It's about the Class of 2024. You all caught lightning and bottledit. It's your story... and an extraordinary story, indeed! Because... how does one catch lightning and bottle it, too? Lightning is a product of electrical discharge between two regions. It carries a powerful force that strikes in a split of a second with such lethal intensity... much like COVID-19."
And then I proceeded to likening the the light of their candles with 'that Light' that illuminates... the Light that is the Truth, the Light that is God's Love, the Light that is Christ Himself. The grace they received in their experience as the 'pandemic Class' enabled them to endure that difficult but glorious journey of finding the Truth in all their ordeals. And in the end, the Truth revealed itself... in the Love that guided them throughout their journey: The Love from their family, from their teachers and the Thomasian Community as a whole... the Love that is the gift from God... the Love that is Christ Himself. That Love is the Light that illuminated their faces and hearts in happiness as they celebrated the culmination of their journey at the Baccalaureate Mass. That illuminating light borne out of that 'lightning' that they caught and bottled, and that they now hold in their hands. In the future, when they meet challenges in their professional and personal journey, they should not be afraid. All they have to do is to hold out their hand... open, look down on their palm, and be heartened and inspired by that lightning in a bottle: their own contribution in that beautiful narrative of human courage and the astounding triumph against all odds through love.
The same is true for us in the University... Class of 2024 is our very own 'lightning in a bottle'. Their triumph is a reminder that as we did what we did for them - out of love... we, too, caught a lightning in a bottle. And it shall illuminate our hearts... especially in the darkest of days.
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Image credit: All images in the collage above are owned by The Varsitarian - the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines - thank you for the loan. The other photo is mine.
