Inspire me, February...

...will ya?  Please?
====================================================================
by PAM



And so, another month begins... wouldn't you know it?  Because February is "love month", let's begin our February posts with a celebration of 'the one love' that heals...

"Lord, I know that your love is healing..."

There is too much hurt in this world of ours.  So much so that one can end up covered with wounds and bruises, if one was not careful.  Those wounds and bruises that merely mar the skin are the easiest to handle... but those that violate the heart, or break the spirit are the most dangerous kind... they can cause illness - the kind that acelerates into the "acute stage" in no time, and then traverses the threshold of bearable pain to an extreme case of hatred, which puts out the light of wisdom in our minds, takes away the soothing spring of hope in our hearts, and puts out the beautiful song of trust in friendship that delightfully surrounds us.  And then, we become empty, un-inspired... we lose our passion in what we do, we lose the spiritual fervor that allows us to see the point in commitment.  In fact, we begin to cease seeing reasons, until we see nothing at all... as hatred blinds us, paralyzes us, leaving us unable to feel. 

And so, when we experience pain, it is wise to immediately seek for healing, for hope, for friendship... for God's love.

And, maybe, it helps not to take ourselves too seriously... to keep reminding ourselves that we are 'work in progress' and that we're, actually, not all that great...

"People say that I'm amazing, I'm strong beyond my years...

...they don't know that I come running home when I fall down,
...'cause deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child."

Wouldn't it be great to have a place to 'come home to' when we fall down?  A place that welcomes us when we need to rest, to help us win time's sympathy and heal all wounds and bruises from a gruelling 'battle'... like an ailing child nurtured to wellness by a loving father or mother?  Yes, we could have that anytime... if only we could learn to keep the immaculate innocence of a child's heart... the hopefulness and the delightful cheerfulness of a trusting child... and the wisdom and commitment of a dependable grown up. Yes, we could be in that place anytime - within ourselves - if we could only be in God's loving heart.

Ah, February, you have (so much) work to do.  I hope you're up to it... 'cause imagine if you're not.

***
Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

Escape...

...let me, will ya?
===================================================================
by PAM


I have a few more minutes of 'freedom'... from work!  Yep, I've become a prisoner... how sad!  But I want to take advantage of this weekend freedom.  To escape... that's what I would love to do right now.  Too many "grown up's concerns"... that children, pretending to be grown ups, or childish grown ups, ignored in the past.  And now, these gnarling concerns tower in front of us, threatening to collapse and crush us all below... and my inside is beginning to melt - from utter exhaustion, trying to will that tower to be still until we got on gear.  I know, there is a way to stop the tower of dire concerns from collapsing... and making it vanish in the end, but it's a lot of work.  Nah, not afraid of work... I'm just afraid of my own human frailty and mortality... 'cause, while my spirit is resilient, I am 'breakable', ya know.

So, let me escape for a while, with this...

"What in the world is this feeling, catch a breath, and leave me reeling? 

It'll get you in the end... tell me, why is it I'm digging your scene?"


..."Digging Your Scene" by The Blow Monkeys.  It's appropriate for me right now, 'cause I'm diggin' someone else's scene now... I wish I was somewhere else, doin' something else - something more fun and less stressful, something I know I'd enjoy.  I wish I was interviewing Tennis's iron man, Novak Djokovic, about how it felt like to be winning the Aussie Open - three times in a row, and against one of the 'Big Four' in each occasion.  Just a couple of hours ago, he dismissed the much improved and much tougher GB's #1, Andy Murray, in a 6(2)-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2 demolition job in Melbourne.  It's his fourth Aussie Open overall, and his sixth Major Title.  Wouldn't it be nice to be watching him play his hilarious "Djoker side" the morning after winning in a historic fashion?  Ah, I can imagine - sweet!   Yep, I'm that shallow... then again, if shallow was happy, then I'd gladly be shallow. 

So, thanks to The Blow Monkeys for giving me the carpet, on which to fly away, to escape the 'grown-up world' and dream of living in shallowness.  I know they look a bit, uhm, weird... but,  ah, don't they sound good?  C'mon, admit it - they do!  :)  A delicious way to escape... to the '80s.

Here's another one from the Blow Monkeys, "It doesn't have to be this way"...

"You've only got yourself to blame for playing the game....

And they just take all hope away, and I just can't see the sense... and my mind's a haze.

But, you know, it doesn't have to be that way!"

... nice, eh?  Man, if only these 'childish grown-ups' listen to music more... then there won't be misery in this world of ours!  There's just too much wisdom in music... more than enough, actually.  Then again, I guess, it depends on what music we listen to.

Alright, that's enough 'shallowness'... back to (boring) reality: sleep (a little) and get back to (lots of) work (again).  Man, I'm so looking forward to summer break... and, ahem, retirement! ;)

***

Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

***

Oy, heart attack... break!

Oy, oy, oy!
==============================================================================
by PAM


Here's a classic from Melbourne...

It's getting a bit too hot in Melbourne now... Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray just negotiated a 36-shot rally in the third set, which Djoker won.  The World #1 and #3 are trying to settle the dispute over the major silverware in the Aussie Open Men's Singles Championship.  The two players winning one set a piece, with no break of serve so far.  Djoker is looking to break Andy's serve to surge ahead.  The intensity is too much, I need a break!

Therefore, music please!  This is a job for Aztec Camera...

"The one thing that's understood is that you can't buy time...
...all you've got to be is true."

..."Somewhere in my Heart" from one of my fave '80s bands, to calm things down a bit. Deep breath... one, two, three....

Alright, back to the game.....

***

Huh? Aussie Open 2013...

...what do you mean, you're almost over?
====================================================================
by PAM


Just a few days ago... well, at least, that's how it seems, a High School classmate was so generously offering to treat me to the Aussie Open, the first Grand Slam of the new Tennis season.  My classmate was fanning me with
The Tennis Superstars were 'Nickolodeoned'.
(Photo credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)tickets to the men's single semi-finals and the men's single final at the Rod Laver Arena.  "All you have to do," the classmate admonished, "is to stop being boring, make the time, and get on that plane!"   

"Make the time", sure... I wish it's that simple.  I know I'm a big fan of Star Trek, and that's one of my fave topics: making time when something is important enough.  The fact that I have not seen a single match - live - not one, nah-ah, in the Aussie Open 2013 confirms that, sadly, Sports is taking the back seat in my 2013 agenda. :(  I'm not sure if I could stand by that tall order... 'cause it's like asking your lungs to make the most out of 'rationed oxygen'.  But a few things have become more important than, say, the great desire to find out whether Roger Federer would shed tears - again - this year, or to find out if this would be the year when he would actually lose his Swiss cool and smash his racquet in the Marat Safin ultimate mental breakdown fashion.  Or, is this the year when Maria Sharapova would find the volume dial to her throat, which seemed to be synchronized with the movement of
Winners: Viktoria Azarenka and Li Na.
(Photo credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)her right wrist?  Apparently, Li Na cannot stand the noise either (well, her husband's mere snoring disturbs her) that she found it in her to silence the leggy Russian in their semi-final match with a straight-sets win.  Ah, relief... for our ears, thanks, Li Na!  Unfortunately, for the powerful Chinese lady, she could not find the right touch and will her bones to stop from breaking so she could silence the 'other noisy' woman on the court, Viktoria Azarenka.  The #1 in the world, Vika, became the least favorite woman by the 2013 Aussie Open crowd after her controversial win over the rising American tennis teenage star, Sloane Stephens - the same girl whose brilliance caused Serena Williams to lose it, and go on spontaneous combustion - on court... again. The win by VA over SS was described by many as undeserved... and I can't argue with that.  Nevertheless, VA went on to snatch the Championship cup - for the second time in a row, despite being walloped by Li Na in the first set.  Too bad for the Chinese lady... and us, who are not all that amused by VA's rough manners on court, not to mention, weird fashion sense. 

Don't get me wrong though... it isn't like I wasn't following the event.  I saw parts of the Federer-Tsonga QF match as I rushed through breakfast a few days back to catch a 9 AM - 12 PM meeting, and it took the heart of me a little, to watch RF finding the true Champion's touch to stop
Roger Federer @ 31: genius, elegance and grace in pink.
(Photo credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)the gritty Frenchman from advancing to the semis.  That's as good as the final for me as far as RF is concerned.  I also saw some parts of the Djokovic-Ferrer semi-final match (on replay, of course).  And, while I was wow-ing and awesome-ing through the beautiful shots from the Djoker racquet, my heart completely bled for the admirable Spaniard who is #5 in the World, David Ferrer, trying to equal Djoker and trying to fill-in the Rafael Nadal shoes in the 'Big Four', but coming up short... too short, actually.  I was especially ouch-ing for DF when he tried to return that baseline powershot from the Djoker racquet, but couldn't jump high enough to catch the ball.  Oh, boy... tough!  And, I dizzied myself to sleep through the (replay of) Federer-Murray semi-final match.  RF was cursing... hah!  Mental breakdown?  Nah... just weird officiating that ought to be questioned, really.  But, that was the first time that these two ran the distance in a Grand Slam:  fiver-setter.  Man, RF still has it in him at 31 to challenge these younger players in the 'Big Four' with iron abs and biceps - awesome!  Oh, and loving the baby pink trimmings of his gear and baby pink shoe laces - too cute. :)

Hmm... how will I maintain my status as a 'card-carrying' tennis fan, when I have not seen any match - live - in the Aussie Open this year?  I'm fearing disbarment from the 'federation of tennis geeks'!  Tsk!   :(  Oh, well....  Fortunately, YouTube is there to the rescue... while it's
Iron men: Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray, who's tougher?
(Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)not as exciting to watch the replay as the live match (and what is Sports if you take away that sort of nail-biting, nerve wracking excitement?), at least you don't feel left out when your fellow tennis geeks are passionately discussing how incredible it is that Caroline Wozniacki had miraculously held on until the fourth round!  Yeah, imagine that!  :)

Well, it would be exciting to see if, finally, Andy Murray, would find the true 'Brit grit' a la James Bond under a 'licensed-to-kill' sort of a tennis hero mission, as he did in the London Summer Games, and whip the butt of Novak Djokovic to finally earn the right to raise the Normal Brookes Challenge Cup above his head!  Now, this one, I'm going to have make the time for.  I'm really curious to see if they could match the incredible Nofael Djodal iron men match-up last year in Melbourne... and I want to follow - as it happens, live!  With the gruelling grind I had to go through last week and the week before that, I deserve this much! 

Therefore, sorry, work... you are taking the backseat within the next few hours.  Besides, it's weekend for cryin' out loud!  Alright, work, scoot over - now! 

Oy, oy, oy, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy!  :)

***

Critical stress level...

...and it's about to spill over.  Watch out!
============================================================================
by PAM


*sigh*

Sorry that I am actually beginning a post - on a weekend - with a sigh.  Yep, a rant is about to begin... so if you have something important to do, click that x button on the upper right hand corner of your browser, and don't waste your time here!

Hmmm... huh?  What are you doing, still reading?  Curious?  Well, you've been warned!


***
Under pressure... to stay kind!

So, yeah... I'm feeling the pressure to decide whether to 'stay cool or turn cruel to be kind'.

"It's the terror of knowing what this world is about...

...this is our last dance.  Under pressure!"

Have you ever experienced taking over the guardianship of an 'estate' from someone else... and you had to go through the (unfairly) loooong process of finding the very keys to the place?  All the important property documents are nowhere to be found, too, that you need to build almost from scratch?  No coherent word from the previous steward over important things that's causing the menacingly dangerous wolves to hover over the estate... and you feel like complaining?  But, you just bit your tongue and go about the business of taking care of the 'estate', risking your own neck in taming the wolves and sending them away?  It is hard work, yes... but you go about the whole business as diligently as your energy would allow.  And then, each corner you turn there's some astonishing surprise that almost knocks you out of your usually 'unshockable' senses... and, no matter how hard you try to stay calm, it gets to you somehow!  And yet, you steel your resolve of cleaning up the stinking 'estate' and restore it to its formerly incredible beauty and luscious wealth of fragrant environment, and then endeavor to add more jewel to its illustrious crown... only to lose your consciousness from the suffocating 'foul smell of dead mice' everytime you lift a rug to slowly clean up the place?!  After regaining consciousness, and stay with the clean-up course, you tremble in anxiety as you ask yourself , how many more foul-smelling dead mice will you uncover???  And it scares you a bit to know the answer.... sometimes it scares you a lot, actually!

And what's more infuriating is, everytime you shovel away a dead mouse, wash and brush the rug to immaculate cleanliness until it smells of fragrant flowers and sweet berries, the very same people who shove the mouse under the rug all of a sudden come out, posing and claiming glory - shamelessly! Tsk! How incredibly shocking!  And you wonder, what is more stinky, the dead mice or the shamelessness!

"You've got blood on your face...

...you're a big disgrace, waving your banner all over the place!"

Well, I wouldn't wish you this misfortune.  But you know what, when you've got yourself an incredible TEAM, all the 'stinking surprises' can become small issues... and the very thought of having such a team keeps you going, in spite of the few shameless individuals whose thirst for attention and personal recognition is beyond measure.  Somehow, it gives you the confidence that you will get through this... with prayers, a whole lot of faith and commitment, some luck, loads of sense of humor, tons of (loud) music, and a lot of hard toil - day and night.   I really believe that!  :)

Therefore, here's to my TEAM...

"We are the Champions, my friends, and we'll keep on fighting 'til the end!"

...CHEERS!  :)

So, wouldn't you know it,  I actually found an excuse to pay tribute to Queen! ;)  It is one of my favorite bands... one reason being, the classic line-up of (the late) Freddie Mercury (vocals), Brian May (guitars), Roger Taylor (drums) and John Deacon (bass) was 'born' on my birthday.  :)

***
Video credits:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

Saturday photo

by PAM

'Puppy Love'

Our furry sprinter at home is getting noisier by the day.  He's been using his 'dog voice' on us too much lately, especially after it has become quite apparent to him that we can't stand his ear-splitting barking that we'd usually give in to his whims.  He has become so expressive (through all sorts of 'dog talk') of his 'opinions' and demonstrative of his 'feelings'.  His 'dog instinct' to protect his 'adoptive family' is growing by the day as well.  He has become so loyal, it's almost ridiculous! :)  He has been showing signs of 'identity crisis', too... we think that sometimes, he debates with himself that he might be human rather than dog... and he drives us crazy whenever he does!  He's mostly adorable, and at times horrible.  He is mostly fun, and sometimes a pain in the neck... and ears!  He is mostly a sweetie, and sometimes hellishly hardheaded and extremely diva-ish.  He'd make your blood boil one second, and he'd dazzle you with his cute antics the next.  Yep, he's all that, and more... actually, so much more!

Ah, 'puppy love'... it's complicated!

***

QOTD

QOTD #11: On personal glory and teamwork. ====================================================================
by PAM

"Goals are only important if they win you games."

-Lionel Messi
 Argentine/FC Barcelona football star
 On valuing team success over personal glory
 via Time Magazine, "The 100 Most Influential People in the World"

In a few hours, the FC Barcelona's 'little magician', Lionel Messi, will be picking up the FIFA Ballon D'Or for his performance in 2012. Yes, I said "will"... I am that confident that he'll win it!  It will be his fourth in a row (the first time as Ballon d'Or and three times as the merged Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Player, the very
Leo Messi: Eyes on the ball...first merged prizes he won for his 2010 performance) - an unprecedented achievement.

Last year, he became the fourth man to win the golden ball three times, stepping on the same glorious platform as the great players, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. Leo leaves the three men on that platform as he steps one notch higher with his fourth Ballon this year, setting two records in the process: (1) the first player to win the prestigious prize four times, and (2) the first player to win in four consecutive years. Awesone feat?  It is!  But Leo doesn't think as much of the prestigious individual prize as he does of titles won in a team victory.

Of course, there's that little issue on another two incredibly talented players in Messi's generation: Real Madrid CF's flambouyant striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and FC Barcelona's midfield genius, Andrés Iniesta. The two superstars are also in contention of the golden prize for their remarkable performance in the field. Earlier, Iniesta ran away with the
...the golden one.UEFA "Best Player" award primarily for his dazzling performance that helped Spain's La Roja win Euro 2012 - for the second time in a row. Ronaldo, the 2008 recipient of the Ballon while with Manchester United, for his part, helped Real Madrid win the Spanish La Liga Primera Division title - their first since 2008, and powered Portugal to their quarterfinal finish in Euro 2012 as team captain and the side's top scorer.  Both players are worthy recipients of the Ballon, too, in any generation... except that, there's Messi in this generation.

Leo, even when he continues to downplay his incredible contribution to Barça's success as a team, especially over the past four years, have had a jaw-dropping string of achievements in 2012, even when Barça only managed to win the Copa del Rey last season, failing to defend their La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles on Pep Guardiola's last term as Barça's most accomplished manager. While highly improved, his national side, Argentina, can only progress to the quarter-finals in the Copa America in 2011, but with him as team captain in 2012, the Selección has been doing well in the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches as they lead South American teams in the qualifying rounds. At 25 years, Leo continues to develop into a highly prolific striker for Barça and for Argentina. He broke Gerd Muller's 40-year record of most number of goals (85) in a calendar year with a staggering 91 goals in 69 matches - for Club and country. Yes, that's 91 - and, in this day and age of 'supermen' on the pitch, too!  And we thought he was already at his top form in 2011 when he hit the 50-goal mark!  His 2012 tally allowed him to pick up his second Pichichi (highest goal scorer in La Liga), and his second golden boot for Europe's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season. Aside from being the UEFA Champions League's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season, he also set the record for the most number of goals in one game, finding the net five times in Barça's winning match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Of course, he dazzled the football world as he did it!

Yep, it's always a joy to watch Leo weave breathtaking magic on the pitch... dribbling skillfully, breaking from zero velocity to a Usain Bolt-ish sprint towards the goal, with the ball rolling smoothly by
The greatest? A great PART of a great TEAM
is more like it.his feet, hooking up with his teammates fast and in precise manner to score the winning goal - all with boyish gusto and the passion of an honorable man who values teamwork and hardwork in making things work... for his team. Too beautiful! But what is more dazzling about him is his humility - in success and in defeat.  And what is most admirable about him as a player of the 'beautiful game' is his great desire for teamwork to work... his visible commitment to working hard for team success rather than individual glory, his heartwarming little figure as he visibly glow in celebrating team success than when accepting recognition for personal achievement. This is the reason why I SO ADMIRE Lionel Messi. He obviously is a genius... but that isn't what makes him worth all the praises.  It's his character and what he does on and off the pitch that do.  He is great, too, and he probably knows it, but trophies for personal recognition do not serve as gauge of greatness for him. It is TEAM SUCCESS that does... and that is worth emulating. And it is primarily because of him why my long standing 'soft spot' for the 'beautiful game' has grown to 'true love' over the past four years or so.

Congratulations, Leo! You are simply THE BEST! :)

***

Sunday foodie

On breakfasts and lifestyle changes...
=====================================================================
by PAM

I used to be a two-cups-of-rice-for-breakfast sort of a gal... and I'd get up at 4:30 AM to cook and to give myself plenty of time to enjoy my 'big breakfast' before getting to work at 7:00 AM.  A friend of mine back in New York used to kid me, "tell me honestly, just how many kids do you actually have that you need to get up before the break of dawn to cook breakfast?  Seriously!"  Yep, seriously!  :) 

Anyway, that used to be my morning routine... until the last two months or so.  Too many changes - big ones - over the last couple of months.  Yep, I had to change lifestyle... and I've become a 'fastbreak breakfast' sort of a person. I still get up before dawn, but only to think and reflect... and read, reply to, and write e-mails, before going to work. So, if you haven't received my reply to your e-mail today, it's because it reached my inbox after dawn.   

That muffin is a green tea muffin, mind you!

Well, at least, I'm still able to eat breakfast... and, at least, life still affords me breakfast every morning.  And that is enough reason to thank God for and to be positive about this drastic change.  Anyway, I don't think my slowed down metabolism can take two cups of rice for breakfast (and another one for lunch... and still another one for dinner) without having my weight doubling in a couple of years or so... especially that I'm no longer able to find the time to exercise.  Heaven knows I've already gained eight to ten pounds last year!  Aargh! 

Hmmm... trade-offs, too many trade-offs.  Then again, I guess it's my choice... I could maintain my previous lifestyle and be frustrated  (and frustrate people around me, too) by my low level of productivity at work, or accept the change in lifestyle as part of my commitment to this new responsibility that I accepted - in a conscious, grown-up decision.  Needless to say, I choose the latter.   And so, your guess is as good as mine as to whether I'd be able to complete watching the five episodes of "Ina, Kapatid, Anak" this week on TV or not... and in the coming weeks, too.  I have a feeling that I would have to settle for "A Beautiful Affair"... or worse, "Kahit Puso'y Masugatan"... in which case, I have tons of books to read, thank you very much!  ;)

So, fellow foodies, did I just waste three minutes of your life reading nonsense and incoherent rant from me? Sorry! What can I say... uhm, "change"? :)
     

***

Saturday photo(s)

by PAM

Each time, it's an amazing feeling to watch them succeed...

after working very hard.



Just when you thought that, after 23 years in the teaching profession, you'd get used to celebrating the success of your students, and at some point, it would already become a 'routine', another sweet success comes your students' way... and you're once again left in awe!

Just a few days before Christmas 2012, our Chemical Engineering Batch 2012 at the University of Santo Tomas took their Oath as Professional Engineers at the Manila Hotel after passing the Licensure Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines in November 2012.  Indeed, what an early Christmas gift it was!  And, I was fortunate to have found the time to attend the momentous event.  This is the scene that ushered me in to the Pavilion...

Two of our former students from ChemE '12 sat in front row... 

being in the Top 10 of more than 400 Licensure Examination passers:

Daryl Carillo, 7th place, and Jerome Magpayo, 8th place.



Batch '12 put the University in second place of schools with the most number of passers in the country.  They, and their parents, all looked very happy... too beautiful to watch.  Yep, they make all the sacrifices and all the trouble of making those hard decisions to stay in the Academe despite nagging curiousity and  the attractive opportunities for personal growth and 'professional adventures' somewhere else so worth it.     

Congratulations, ChemE '12!  You do us proud.

***

Welcome, 2013!

So good to see ya!
=============================================================================
by PAM

Yep, you do sound like a great adventure, 2013... therefore, let's play! :)



Love, peace, joy and prosperity to one and all... HAPPY NEW YEAR!



As we welcome 2013 with hope and excitement, we raise our voices to Heaven, as we pray for all things joyful and wonderful for all of us all year round.  As one song goes, "peace, prosperity...and love for all mankind."  From my family to yours, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

***