Important and Urgent, from the Prince of Wales

"...we need 'earthshots'.  We must harness that human ingenuity and purpose, and turn it with laser-sharp focus and urgency on the most pressing challenge we have ever faced: repairing our planet.... together, we must protect and restore nature... and fix our climate.  

"...some people are motivated to act by crisis, but for many, the incentive to act only comes when they believe that change is possible, that it isn't a lost cause.  

"So, now is the time for each one of us to share leadership... every single one of us has a role to play."  This coming from one who was born to such unimaginable privilege, yielding his 'unique position' and turning his privilege to service that is dedicated to restoring our beloved planet in order that future generations can enjoy it is truly inspiring.  

His Royal Highness, Prince William, the Prince of Wales is truly an inspirational human being. He may be imperfect (and who isn't?) and may come up short of the tremendous expectations that come with the "HRH" attached to his name no matter how hard he tries to measure up, but we know, especially now, that he is all about service.  

In the past year and months, Prince William's graciousness and strength of character was put to the test in a very public character assassination that involved no other than his own brother, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.  From many parts of the world, the perspective was that Prince Harry unfairly lambasted Prince William publicly in a bonfire of self-serving and attention-grabbing parade of private family matters 'orchestrated and scripted' to get people cruelly see things out of context in exchange of $$$.  For whose benefit?  Ah, we all can use our imagination to answer that question. For anyone in this world who is family-oriented, what Prince Harry and... uhm, not sure if the name is even worth mentioning here... so, I wont!  Well, what Prince Harry did was a breach of trust... and he did it without remorse, too - striding cockily in Westminster Abbey a few days back like a Hollywood celebrity. Wishful thinking!  It was full of drama that the world did not need.  Personally, about a decade ago, I did believe that Prince Harry had finally grown up and became a responsible person after a string of embarrassing controversies. Of course, he looked grown up around the positive influence of his older brother and sister-in-law.  And then all that rubbish happened, and it got me thinking... "is the old selfish, irresponsible Harry back?"   We all know the answer to that... so, I will 'spare' you the details. 

The Princes may have been reared in a difficult family situation as children but they were still surrounded by positive influences from which to draw good judgment regarding their situation.  Therefore, we can only hope that things will be right again someday with the Princes.  After all, there is something that they both share that cannot be changed no matter what: they are each other's brother.  

Amid all the cruel and very public accusations, two gracious human beings who are worthy of emulation (re-)emerged:  Prince William, of course, and his equally wonderful wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales.  They consistently soldiered on, serving the United Kingdom quietly and with a smile despite the obvious heartbreak.  We have seen Prince William evolved from being this larger-than-life British Royal to 'just being among us' by quietly bearing the personal pain caused by his own brother, and carrying out his duties and responsibilities without 'loud' 'hollywoodish' PR stunts - much like his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.  He worked with such perseverance and diligence, effectively earning whatever title bestowed on him by virtue of his birth, if he didn't earn it yet, that is.  With the quietly elegant, and brilliant in her own right, Princess Kate, alongside him, we have seen him evolved from this young man who is born into privilege but grew up to be of substance and with a strong sense of responsibility to this wonderfully mature Servant Leader and a wonderful father to a growing family.  He is worth-emulating for his humility and focus on service despite his heartache; admirable for his vision for the world and his brilliance in articulating it; and inspirational for his love and devotion to country, family and God.  

While he is and will always be the son of Diana, the "People's Princess", the son of Charles III - the reigning British Monarch, and the grandson of the legend that is Queen Elizabeth II, he has effectively emerged from the shadows of his parentage and ancestors - owning his birthright with such graciousness and clarity of purpose as a world leader while keeping his reverence for history and respect for traditions that makes UK a one of a kind country that it is then and now.  I do not exactly know what it means to be the King of UK and the Commonwealth, but I can certainly see Prince William to be a very good world leader.  Thanks to the difficult situation with his own brother, he has 'emerged from his cocoon', and now the world sees him for the wonderful Servant Leader that he is.  

I am a chemical engineer with specialization in food engineering, an educator and a scientist, and I stand by Prince William.  Like him, I commit to doing the best I can, using my knowledge (as limited as it may be) and my small influence as a humble servant leader in my small part of the world to help restore and nurture our planet back to good health. May God bless Prince William and his family, and may God bless us all. 

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Video credit:  The owner of the video is indicated in the video itself, The Earthshot Prize - thanks.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

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Saturday Photo (dump) + Namjooning...

...because we don't throw away memories.

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by PAM

There are many important occasions today, and it's good that it's Saturday, too.  Although it is a thoroughly busy day for me... as I am traveling from the US to the Philippines as I write this blog post.  In fact, I am currently standing on a loooong queue that is snaking around the Tom Bradley International Terminal of LAX... that is not moving!  There's a huge variety of anxiety-triggers along the queue: "late again?", "when do they start checking us in?", "can we make it to boarding at this rate?", "man, I have a connection in Manila! Will I make it at this rate?"... and what have you!  

After missing a flight the day before... and after walking (thrice! Long story... not worth discussing.) from Terminal 7 of LAX to Tom Bradley with three pieces of huge check-in luggage balanced on a squeaking cart (well, can you blame it, given the weight of my luggage?), a carry-on, and a backpack, and with that heat outside, and the LA smog that made my eyes water, plus I am really hungry... I cannot listen anymore to all the complaints around me.  So, after conversing and commiserating with my fellow frustrated passengers, I decided, I have to do something productive... and happy.  

So, I switched on Spotify, opened my ever-reliable favorite Playlist... put on my wireless earbuds... and voila, here I am... in this safe virtual haven of mine.  Let's go!

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Everything happens for a reason

Yep, I missed my flight the day before because of that Health Pass online Form that one person insisted I needed to fill out before I can be checked-in and be given a boarding pass.  Apparently, she was misinformed... but, by the time someone made a clarification, my luggage did not have enough time to reach the plane even if I can still sprint to my gate!  So, I returned to my sister's home, and spent most part of the morning getting re-booked for my flights today.  Thankfully, the Department of State's Travel Agency that was assigned to handle the travel plans of Humphrey Fellows like myself was very efficient that everything was taken care of in only a couple of hours.  I then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon taking delicious catnaps... and listening to music in between.  

The truth is, I wasn't feeling too well yesterday as I had my COVID-19 second booster shot last Wednesday evening.  I wasn't feeling well the following day, Thursday, but I couldn't take a

rest because I had to pack and re-pack my luggage.  Ten months of being in the US had me 'amassing' stuff - mostly books... and shoes - lots of them!  Nope, I do not plan to make excuses... 'cause I have none! Anyway, the extra day of stay gave me time to recuperate... and be ready for the long journey home today - a blessing in disguise.

It was a beautiful day, too!  It was a bit warm, but it was sunny, and the sky was clear and very blue - pretty, and perfect for some Namjooning!  And so, in the late afternoon, as my brother-in-law went to play golf, my sister and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood so I can admire the place one last time.  I love the old huge trees that lined the streets, almost forming a natural canopy above our heads as we walked.  The shade they provided made the warm air a bit cooler, keeping the heat radiated by the asphalt road in check.  So, it was quite a comfortable walk. 

These last month that I was in my sister's place in Boise City, ID, I walked almost everyday.  First of all, I walked to the Boise State University campus... walked leisurely around the

campus and beyond after work, and then walked home.  I typically complete more than 10,000 steps daily, which is usually equivalent to, at least, 7 km.  The place is nice and safe, so I enjoyed every minute of my walk!  Also, I loved looking at the houses around.  They are most definitely not as HUGE as the houses in, say, Texas!  However, they are dainty and lovely... making the village where my sister lives very pretty, indeed.  People are so friendly, too.  Many of them let me take a photo of their home, and even chatted a bit about the neighborhood, especially when they learned that I am a visiting scholar at Boise State.  Perhaps, that is another thing that I love about this place - people's sense of community, and sense of pride of what their community has to offer.   

My sister and I decided to eat dinner at one of our favorite Asian restaurants in the village.  We took a different route on our way there just to explore the village.  We saw interesting things

around the neighborhood.  My favorite was a mini free library at the front yard of one house. There were a couple of comfortable seats provided, and there were a few more spares in the barn just directly at the back of the free mini library.  Anyone in the neighborhood can come and read, and anyone can donate books as well.  It is a very good idea, really.  In fact, I've seen one like this at the Anne Frank Memorial at downtown Boise.... which I'll write about in the (near) future. 

My sister and I did not have our 'usual' at the Asian resto... we ventured to something different.  We usually ordered ramen or pho but, this time, I ordered their special noodles... which was truly special - lots of veggies, shrimp and beef.  It was delicious... and I finished it all! The long walk gave me appetite, and I loved it!  My sister opted for something with rice, and se loved it, too.

On our way back to my sister's house, we decided to walk some more at a park nearby.  It was, actually, a dog park.  So, there were many people walking and playing with their dogs... and there were some more playing tennis and basketball.  It was quite busy... but not crowded - there was enough space for everyone.  My sister and I decided to take camp at the

picnic area... I was so full and happy that I decided to lie down... and just enjoy the fresh air, and the peace and quiet while I bonded with my sister.  We talked about our immediate and long-term plans... and things that we are not planning just yet.  It was a very good talk, which I did enjoy.  This is another thing that I love about this place... there are many amenities that are found in big cities, like New York City (NYC), for instance... MINUS the huge crowd, the noise, the stench, the security and safety threats, and the lack of privacy.  Ah... perhaps, it's my age.  I used to enjoy the sight and sound of NYC... but, these days, I go there primarily for business.  Then again, times have changed tremendously... and so did NYC!  Given the choice, I'd rather go to Boise or in Upstate New York... and even in rural Pennsylvania - hmmm... uhm, perhaps, I won't go that far!  I do love Pittsburgh though!  It's cosmopolitan and lovely with a fair amount of intellectual vibes about it... but not as chaotic as NYC, or Philadelphia! 

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Oh, and about special occasions...

July is a special month for me because, uhm, its my birth month! CANCER month!  Yes, indeed, I'm a crab!  Proud of it, too!  I can identify with many crabs in this life... such as the late Princess Diana

and his son, Prince William, as well as the brilliant, Tom Hanks, and the eternally youthful and innovative, Tom Cruise.  Let's not talk about Elon Musk though... because we want to talk happy and good, right?  He's a great engineer though... I give him that.

Anyway, speaking of Tom Cruise... I found out on Instagram (IG) a few days ago that he is an ARMY.  Well, in the IG post, he sang the first two lines of "Butter" - and with gusto, too.  Hahaha... and speaking of ARMY, the fandom make July even more special for me because the 9th of July is ARMY's birthday!  Having officially joined the fandom lately, I feel happy that I can celebrate my own birthday with ARMY's birthday.  Yaay!

So, when my sister and I reached home, at the suggestion of my brother-in-law, we went to harvest ripe raspberries at the backyard.  And because, I didn't have cake to commemorate the special ARMY day, and it was too late to bake one, I opted for ice cream - Ben & Jerry's.  Fortunately, I still had one of my favorite flavors, the Americone Dream, which was "vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl" (credit: description is from B&J's website).  So, I had a proper ARMY birthday celebration commemorated with ice cream topped with fresh raspberries - straight from the backyard garden!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARMY! 💜🎊

And to celebrate this occasion, let's dance to one of my favorite 'old' BTS songs, "Anpanman"... because, heaven knows, I need a hero right now!

 

I chose this because this is one of the first BTS songs that caught my attention four years ago... the rest is history.  Also, the graphics in their background has the most semblance to Hobi's Jack-in-the-box album cover, which we are also celebrating these days!  Hobi is awesome in this video... and in this one, too, which is another live performance of Anpanman.

Alright... the queue is moving - FINALLY!  Outta here... for now.

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IMAGE CREDIT:  All photos in this post are mine - I took them, and processed them, solely for this post.

VIDEO CREDIT:  The owner of the video is indicated in the video credit, BangtanTV.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

Footnote:  "Namjooning" - per BTS explanation, it is the "act of living as Kim Nam-Joon.  This includes taking walks through parks, admiring nature, hanging out with crabs, and having fun with friends" (Reference:  Click here.).  Kim Nam-Joon, also known as "RM" (short for, originally, "Rap Monster"), is the leader of the South Korean group, BTS.