Tria Haec...

...a Thomasian Commitment.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


On April 28, 2011, the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines (UST) will be marking its 400th Foundation Anniversary - "400 Years of Unending Grace". And, on its University Day, January 28, 2011 - the Feast of its Patron Saint, St. Thomas Aquinas - this oldest University in Asia will hold the highlight of its Quadricentennial celebrations! True to its Catholic values and aspirations, the University prepared for its "Q Celebration" with a spiritual event that proved to be a turning point for many Thomasians serving the University.

On November 3-5, 2010, the Office of the Vice Rector for Religious Affairs and the Office of Campus Ministry organized the historical "Quadricentennial Retreat", where UST Administrators, Academic Staff and Non-Academic Personnel - all 2,000+ of us - came together at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City to set the UST Q Celebration wheels in motion! The theme of the momentous event was "Tria Haec... Impelled by Faith, Propelled by Hope, Compelled by Love".

The three-day spiritual journey was divided into three parts, each with its own theme: (1) First day: "Impelled by Faith", (2) Second day: "Propelled by Hope", and (3) Third day: "Compelled by Love". All three days started with the community praying the Rosary and, except the first day, closed with the celebration of the Holy Mass. Each day was made unforgettable by a truly engaging Talk given by a very distinguished Man of God. Thomasian lay persons served as witnesses, sharing their experience(s) related with UST in heartfelt words that made each day an absolutely meaningful one.

***
Impelled by Faith

The opening mass on the first day was celebrated by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, D.D. - the Archbishop of Manila and himself a brilliant Thomasian. An alumnus of the UST Seminary, Cardinal Rosales considered the event to be a wonderful homecoming for him.

In his homily, Cardinal Rosales challenged the Thomasians to carry on the vision of the University's founder, Rev. Fr. Miguel de Benavides, O. P., to serve God in humility through high quality Catholic education that is defined by love and compassion. While this might be a tall order to many, Cardinal Rosales said that doing this begins with small things - little baby steps. He then proceeded to remind the leadership of the University and all the Thomasian leaders in their respective fields that the main reason for the resilience of UST is Fr. Benavides's vision, which is a UST flourishing in the brilliance of its people, who are impelled by their Catholic faith. It is that same vision which Thomasians from many generations have set their sights to and committed their time and talents to. This is why UST remains to be the beacon of excellent Catholic education, not only in the Philippines, but in the whole of Asia - for four centuries now! Therefore, the importance of having a vision cannot be overemphasized, and that "leadership without vision is treason".

Following the mass and other preliminary activities was the first Retreat Talk given brilliantly by another illustrious Thomasian, the Most Rev. Fr. Teodoro Bacani, D.D. Bishop Bacani spoke about faith, and its importance as the foundation of service to God and His people. He said that Faith is PET. P = personal, E = ecclesiastical, and T = transformative. He stressed on the three aspects of transformative faith: passion for excellence, compassion for people, and submission to God. He reminded everyone that in spiritual life - a life that a Thomasian should hope to live - the only way to go "up" is to go "down" humbly - in service to God. And one excellent way to serve God with humility is through teaching, therefore teaching could be an apostolate. However, God is not asking us to do "superhuman" things, and that service to Him begins in small steps - in the right direction, small efforts - in the name of God. And, most importantly, Faith is Trust... Trust in God's Love.

***
Propelled by Hope

The second day saw the Most Rev. Fr. Luis Antonio Tagle, D.D. tug at many hearts and bring enlightenment to many bewildered minds and souls. Bishop Tagle spoke about Hope, and the mysterious ways by which God renews us spiritually... through His love - in the form of Hopeful inspiration.

Since that day in November 2007 when I came back to UST after a long absence, restlessness and despair seemed to have settled in my heart and soul, and they were dragging me down helplessly into the abyss of hopelessness! I believe that it was on the second day of the Retreat when restlessness finally eased its grip on me, and I was able to stare despair in the eyes with inspired defiance that made it squirm away! It was on this day when my Thomasian commitment was renewed in ways that were very special. And I have reasons to believe that Bishop Tagle whispered that magical prayer that scared restlessness out of its wits to finally shut up - hopefully, never to regain enough energy to rattle my world again!

Bishop Tagle began his Talk not by defining Hope, but by saying that, "Hope is experienced in absurd and senseless situations." Naturally, just because I felt that I have always been in and out of a "senseless and absurd situation" since November 2007 - in UST - what he said made me sit up and listen intently... in the hope of inviting and finally experiencing Hope in that "senseless and absurd" situation of mine! He then proceeded to ask his battery of "why's"... why do we fret on absurd and senseless things while other people see them insignificant enough to be completely ignored? Why does our blood boil at the sight of absurdity and senselessness when others can afford a serene smile and peacefully walk away unperturbed? Why do we want to scream our heads off when people choose senselessness and absurdity over wisdom and common sense while others just stare blankly and walk away with a shrug? And then, he proceeded to answer his own questions... because we see sense... because wisdom is our friend... because we feel compassion - and it makes sense... because we understand what is right and what is wrong... because we recognize a tiny little beauty in a sea of repulsive ugliness... because we know better, and we know that things can be better... and most importantly, because Hope is in our hearts!

Huh? What was that again? Bishop Tagle's declaration left me frozen for a few absurd seconds! I had Hope in my heart? It didn't make sense! As if hearing my confusion, the kind Bishop went on to say that the day when we submit to senselessness and absurdity, and allow them to dominate our lives and our surroundings - automatically fixing a serene smile on our faces, shrugging our shoulders with a resigned sigh, turning our back and walking away unperturbed - is the day when we stop caring... the day when we lose Hope!

Senselessness and absurdity will continue to stir our souls to restlessness when Hope resides in our hearts... because "hope is about living - living a life that is focused on God - living a life in God...," the Bishop said. We cling to God and His words, no matter how absurd it is, no matter how senseless the thought of it is, no matter how difficult - because we have Faith in Him... and our Faith gives us hope because Hope and Faith are together - in a life in God. Right there and then, epiphany hit me, and I was overjoyed!!

I always thought I've made a mistake by coming back to UST after my enriching and thoroughly satisfying stint at Cornell University in New York as a Fulbright scholar... giving up many great opportunities for an exciting life with a lucrative career - a chance of living in luscious pastures where the grass is so much greener. I came back to the Philippines because I was absolutely committed to fulfill my end of the bargain in the very prestigious scholarship - a small price to pay. And I chose UST to go back to among many other opportunities in the Philippines because, being a devout Catholic and having taught there for a number of years before Cornell, I couldn't think of anywhere else where service can be more fulfilling. And that burning desire to make a difference in my country - I had that... I still have it!

While the inefficiency of various organizational systems in UST drove me to grave and hopeless despair - EVERY SINGLE DAY - I always get lost in delicious ecstasy whenever I stand in front of my students to give a lecture. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just about the wonders of teaching and the beautiful process of passing on an acquired knowledge... but it's more about the Thomasian spirit - God's grace - that moves about in every hallowed classroom of my beloved USTe. The feeling is so addictively beautiful that I'd like to feel it everywhere and everytime. Therefore, it drove me crazy (it still does) whenever I feel the exact opposite of ecstasy - experiencing the senseless inefficiencies of some key offices and the utter absurdity of those who make big decisions for the University in those offices! And the reason why these kill me everytime is because, many times before, I've breathed the air of Universities steered to greatness by dear old wisdom and common sense of their leaders. But now, I understand that this knowledge and rich experiences - all are wonderful gifts from God - give me hope that someday, UST will flourish in the great wisdom and common sense of its own wonderful leaders as well... when the few absurd ones finally see sense! But the long wait drove me to despair in the meantime - it still does! Nevertheless, if Bishop Tagle was right, that this despair is rooted to Hope, I'd gladly take it, even willingly suffer from it! And, I know that the constant burst of ecstasy in the classroom with my brilliant students, and in the company of wonderful true friends in the University, no matter how infrequent, will help me endure despair!

And so, I remain hopeful... and faithful in my Hope.

***
Compelled by Love

The very kind and popular former chief-of-staff of the late Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, the Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, D.D., the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan took the "love helm" on the third day of the Retreat. Archbishop Villegas stressed on the four foremost aspects of Love: (1) Love is contemplative... and a Christian's way of contemplation is by prayer, because prayer leads to God... and God is Love. Praying to God is like resting with God... and when we are rested with God, we have peace in our hearts. (2) Love is compassion... and compassionate - it is on fire, always eager to to be with the beloved - no matter what, and therefore, always eager to give and forgive. (3) Love is communion... it seeks relationship, strengthening relationship - with God, through God and in God. A communion with God, Archbishop Villegas said, is "allowing God to embrace us." And when we are in God's embrace, we are protected from all anxieties that impedes personal and spiritual growth. (4) Love is communication... communication through the heart - in silence - because the language of God is silence... because love is best expressed in silence.

And so, we all paused in silence... and savored the warmth and sweetness of God's embrace. The experience was a life-changing one for me... it did not only renew my Thomasian commitment, it did clear the clouds in the sky above me as well. Now, it's all blue and, oh, so beautiful, too! And in that beauty... in the velvety silence, I think I heard God whisper what He desired of me... and the wisdom of it brought peace in my heart and in my mind.

I am glad I am a Thomasian! I am proud to be a Thomasian!

***

Photo credits: I own all photos, except Photo #3 (statue of Rev. Fr. Miguel de Benavides, O. P.): owned by Norberto Villanueva.

Acknowledgement: Photos #5, #6, #7 and #10 are shots of the paintings of the late Joey Velasco, which were loaned by his wife to UST and on display during the Q Retreat at SMX Convention Center. My sincerest appreciation and gratitude to Joey Velasco's wife.

***

Hitting the road again...

...for more family time.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Being a predominantly Roman Catholic country, the Philippines observes "All Saints Day" and "All Souls Day" as important religious holy days. Therefore, November 1 (All Saints Day) and 2 (All Souls Day) are special non-working holidays. It is that time of year when those who work in the Big Cities, such as Metro-Manila, but hailed in provinces outside the City take time to visit the resting place of their beloved departed in their home towns. As they do, they visit their relatives and old friends as well. This has become the usual practice that, over the years, these holy days have become more of a time for family reunion, or a chance to travel and bond with family and friends, rather than just the mere observance of religious holidays.

This year, my own family took advantage of the All Saints/Souls Day to travel to Manaoag, Pangasinan - my birthplace - to visit my mother's and our grandparents' resting place. We avoided the crowd and traffic by going to Pangasinan on the 31st of October.

So, once again... roadtrip!! :) This time, we headed north!

***
The province that makes salt

Pangasinan is a Philippine province located in Northern Luzon, about 170 km north of Manila. One of Pangasinan's biggest industries is salt making, which earlier earned the province the nickname asinan, or the place where salt (or asin in the vernacular) is made. Later, the province was formally called "Pangasinan". Among many others, it is famous for the Filipino culinary icon, the bagoong - fermented baby fish in viscous brownish sauce that impart saltiness to a dish with the exotic flavors of young fish meat. Its by-product, the clear yellowish to brownish liquid is the fish sauce (or patis in the vernacular). Bagoong's variant, the bagoong alamang (anchovies), is shrimp paste that is red in color, and made by the fermentation of minute shrimp. Bagoong is usually used to season vegetable dishes, for which Pangasinan is also known, and to cut the sourness and enhance the flavors of the local green carabao mango and other unripe sour tropical fruits.

Pangasinan is where the famous wonder of the world is found: the Hundred Islands - a place of fascinating tropical beauty, comprised of more than a hundred islands and islets scattered beautifully in clear blue water. Thousands of Filipinos from different provinces and foreigners visit Alaminos, Pangasinan to enjoy the beauty of this iconic Philippine tourist destination every year. Surrounded by water, Pangasinan is known for its many beach resorts, especially in the Lingayen Gulf. As such, Pangasinan is also famous for its seafoods, and its waters is the home for the milk fish, or bangus - the national fish of the Philippines.

***
The town of the Lady who calls

Manaoag is a small town in Pangasinan that is four- to five-hour drive North of Manila. While the town is economically progressive, boasting of good concrete roads and generally satisfactory public services, the quiet and slow paced "barrio lifestyle" is preserved in Manaoag. Still rich in its natural greeneries, Manaoag has no high-rise buildings and giant malls anywhere, but people generally live a comfortable life with the amenities of modern living in their homes.

Manaoag is famous for the "Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag", which is the home for Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag - a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with her image enshrined in the church. The ivory image of Our Lady, or Apo Baket to the locals, was brought to the Philippines from Spain by a Spanish friar in the 17th century. It is believed to be miraculous, surviving a number of catastrophes over several centuries now. According to legends, the Virgin Mary appeared to a local peasant. He was "called" (or, tinaoag in the vernacular) by Our Lady, who held a rosary on one hand and the baby Jesus on the other. The peasant then related that the apparition was the same as the image of Our Lady. Later, a church was built in that same spot where the peasant saw Our Lady and the town was called "Manaoag" as a tribute to Our Lady who "calls" (or mantaoag in the vernacular), and she became the Patroness of the town. The church was partially destroyed by a number of catastrophes, including a bomb dropped on the church that destroyed its sanctuary in World War II, but Our Lady's image remained intact. The Church was then rebuilt in its present location atop a hill, where the image of Our Lady resides. The Parish is presently ran by the Dominicans.

Over the years, devotees related several stories - testimonials to miracles and granted petition for intercessions to Our Lady. Soon, pilgrims from all over the country visit the church in multitudes yearly, to pay homage to Our Lady and to seek her intercession. Many of them testify to the miracles and favors granted to them. Members of our own family are devotees of Our Lady as well. We visit whenever we can... our first stop whenever we visit Manaoag is always the Church - it's like coming home to the Mother who gently calls.

***
A Soulful Place

After hearing the mass and paying homage to Our Lady in the Shrine, my family and I then proceeded to visit the resting place of our late mother and grandparents in the old town cemetery, a few minutes away from the Shrine. Unlike the modern cemeteries in the City, the Manaoag public cemetery is not a sprawling manicured lawn where beautifully carved stones in the departed souls' graves are nicely arrayed in a fashion that "simulates" peace and serenity.

My niece who was born in Manila and is so used to seeing modern cemeteries in the City was fascinated by all the old tombs, painted shabbily in white and other colors, that are scattered on muddy soil in almost a confusing disarray in the Manaoag cemetery. Characteristic of a person with a kind heart, like a little child, my niece gasped at the "chaos" and then cheerfully lighted candles and erected them on our departed's tombs. Afterwards, she lead us in prayers to God and in saying words of praises in soulful dedication to our dear departed. She then proceeded to explore the cemetery with fascination and enthusiasm, taking note of how each family lovingly dedicated prayers to their departed everywhere in the cemetery. She commented that the "soulfulness" of the place more than made up for its shabby facade.

***
Eating with our bare hands

After accomplishing our holy day mission, it was time to savor what Pangasinan is famous for gastronomically speaking - seafood and freshly picked vegetables cooked in bagoong! :)

We ate a (very) late lunch in a popular restaurant in Dagupan City - Silverio's. Dagupan is about 30-minute drive northwest of Manaoag. While far from being as Metropolitan as Manila, Dagupan is easily one of the most modern places in Pangasinan - it's where the malls, movie houses and other modern hangout places, as well as the more advanced universities in Pangasinan can be found. It is known in the country for its big fish pens that culture, among many others, the bangus, making Pangasinan an important province of the Philippines. Silverio's is surrounded by fish pens, and located on the periphery of the City center. It's fame is not so much for it's ambiance, which is far from being subtle and "classy" (they have a band performing Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber songs live on lunchtime, imagine?), but for its deliciously cooked food that are authentic Pangasinense dishes!

Being true blue Pangasinense himself, my father ordered most of the food for us. His mouthwatering picks consisted of large grilled bangus - freshly caught from the fish pen, large crabs in deliciously spicy garlic sauce, large octopus - fresh and tender, and grilled medium rare, pancit guisado (an Asian noodle dish seasoned with soy sauce and garnished with stir fried thinly cut lean pork and greens), and "the other" Pangasinense specialty: pinakbet - a dish of fresh tropical vegetables cooked in "that condiment" that a true Pangasinense can't do without, the bagoong, until the veggies become so tender that they melt in the mouth. We chose a table outside the building - right next to the fish pens, and watched the fishes swam and jumped while waiting for our food.

Having spent all my summer vacations helping out in my grandparents farmland in Manaoag until I was in College, I know that there is only one way to enjoy a sumptuous Pangasinense meal - eating with bare hands! :) In my book, a Pangasinan restaurant could claim to be serving "authentic" Pangasinense food only if: (1) it provided a station for washing hands so its patrons can enjoy the food by eating with their bare hands, and (2) it served bagoong with calamansi and siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) - before anything else! Silverio's did both... so, you could actually forgive the band-on-lunchtime appetite killer. And so, we washed our hands with soap and water, took our individual sauce bowls, poured a decent amount of bagoong, squeezed calamansi juice into it - to taste, and then crushed in a couple of siling labuyo into the mix - for a most exciting gastronomic experience. And then, yes, our orders were served - chow time! All of a sudden, the "noise" from the live band seemed like a little murmur from a distance! Needless to say, we enjoyed every fistful of our food! Silverio's didn't disappoint - at all! :)

***
That mouthwatering gold

After eating, we set out to return to Manila... but not after getting a few kilos of another Pangasinan delicacies: Puto Calasiao and Kutsinta Calasiao. Calasiao is another town in Pangasinan - about 30-minute drive southwest of Dagupan towards Manila. It is famous for another "national food treasure" Puto Calasiao and its variant, Kutsinta Calasiao.

Puto Calasiao is a snack/dessert made by fermenting semi-glutinous rice flour, usually in earthen jars. The resulting bite-size white rice cakes are sweet with soft texture and a faint fermented note that makes them so unique. Puto making is one of the major industries of Calasiao, Pangasinan - and it's a big industry, too... earning the white rice cake the nickname, "the white gold" of Calasiao. The marketplace for puto in Calasiao is an (tourist) attraction on its own. There were more than 200 stalls in one roof - selling puto and other Pangasinan snacks/dessert, like bucayo (candied coconut strips in caramelized sugar) and candied tamarind. The kutsinta is a variant of puto, which is made of sticky rice flour. As such, it has a more distinctive jelly-like texture that allows a clean bite - making it not only delicious but also fun to eat. While, I love puto Calasiao eversince I was little, I notice that I usually end up eating more kutsinta whenever I'm given both. So, maybe I secretly prefer kutsinta? Either way, I recommend both rice cakes to anyone who visits Pangasinan.

We bought a few kilos of the rice cakes, ate some, saved some for pasalubong (Filipino for presents for those who were left at home) and then headed out to Manila.

***
A pleasant surprise

While searching for the Calasiao Puto Cooperative Market, we stumbled upon another Calasiao treasure - the Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul. I gathered that this Roman Catholic church was built from the 17th to the 19th centuries by Dominican friars. While the bell tower of the church is a recent reproduction of the original, as the original was destroyed by an earthquake, most of the structure, including its sprawling convent, was original. We were mesmerized by how well-preserved the interior of the church was, it was a most charming treasure that anyone, including us, would be so thrilled to find - while finding his way in an unfamiliar place. And, there was a bonus, too - we found an image of one of our favorite saints, St. Therese of the Child Jesus! Naturally, my sisters, niece and I didn't waste the opportunity to take a few souvenir photos.

***
A fascinating detour on the way home

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows on the ground, we reluctantly got ready to head home... and then we got a text message from another sister, who was vacationing with her husband and in-laws in his hometown: Pampanga, another province - north of Manila, south of Pangasinan... about 1.5-hr drive from Manila. My sister's in-laws were inviting us to drop by and eat dinner at their place as their town was celebrating its fiesta. As Philippine town fiestas are celebrated with grand "parade" of food originating from the town, naturally, we were thrilled by the prospect of eating Kapampangan (local reference to Pampanga inhabitants) food! And so, we willingly detoured to Pampanga en route to Manila.

The Province of Pampanga is known as the "Culinary Capital" of the Philippines. It is what Bologna is to Italy. Among many others, it is famous for that "sinful" sisig, a dish made from ground parts of pig's head and liver, cooked until almost crispy and seasoned with salt and vinegar. It is usually served on a sizzling plate, as "sizzling sisig", which adds to its exotic culinary uniqueness. Longganisa (pork links or Philippine chorizo) and tocino (cured meat) are two of the most sought-after Pampanga culinary specialties. They are different from other product of their kind because of their tender texture and distinctive sweetness that balances out the tartness. The sweetness comes from the sugar in the recipe, which caramelizes and, together with the fat of the meat, turns the longganisa and the tocino to an appetizing glazed golden brown when cooked. The manufacture of these meat products had become one of the biggest industries of Pampanga, and the process has evolved over the years, spawning a number of variants of these culinary treasures such as the delicious skinless longganisa and the boneless chicken tocino.

As far as tradition, Pampanga has a number of unique features that attract many tourists, such as the re-enactment of the nailing on the cross of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, which draws an incredible size of crowd and media coverage each year. Another thing that Pampanga is known for that showcases the creativity of the Pampanguenos is its colorfully lit Christmas lanterns.

The star that guided the three Magi to the manger where the baby Jesus was born on that silent and holiest of nights is that symbol of Christmas closest to the Filipino heart. Therefore, hanging the Christmas lantern - in the shape of a star - on our windows is our way of welcoming the Christmas season. Filipinos usually troop to Pampanga during Christmas season - and for the Filipinos, that's right after the All Saints/Souls Day - to choose (and purchase) among the thousands of beautifully designed lanterns with their amazing electronically designed lights. This has become a major industry in the Province of Pampanga. A cooperative was also set up to oversee the industry, putting most of the lantern stores in one place. The beautiful lanters were showcased in a long stretch of stalls along the North Superhighway. Passers by are completely wowed and lured by the fascinating lanterns... we were so wowed and lured, we bought one for our house. The decision to choose one amongst thousands was indeed exciting, and at the same time, an agonizing can't-make-up-my-mind process! But we survived! :)

We then headed to my sister's in-laws place to partake of and enjoy the sumptuous feast that featured about a dozen of Pampanga's amazing cuisine... and then headed home - happy and, oh, so belly- satisfied!

Indeed, it was a wonderful day spent with the family - eating, praying... and yet again savoring the renewal of familial love, the warmth of which saw us on our way home.

***
Photo credits: I own all photos, except Collage 1 (Hundred Islands, bangus and bagoong alamang): grabbed from various travel blogs/websites, and Collage 9 (longganisa, skinless longganisa, tocino, sisig): grabbed from various cooking and food blogs/websites. Thanks for the loan.


***

Long weekend = sweet family time

We bonded by eating together, laughing at trivial things, sightseeing, exploring new and familiar places and things... just spending time together.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


My family and I had a nice weekend... we converted the long weekend to a fun bonding time as the "adult ones" among us took our father and the kids for a break from day-to-day activities just to have a great time. Even the "adult ones" have been craving for fresh countryside air being unwillingly gassed unhealthily by the stifling so-called air of the urban jungle! And yes, we all needed some serious food trip as well... away from the scrutinizing and highly critical eyes of Big City weight watchers and self-proclaimed health buffs! :) And so, to the countryside we went!

Roadtrip! Woo-hoo!

We escaped to one of our favorite cities close to Manila - Tagaytay City... home of the sinful Bulalo - a Filipino dish of beef (and I'm not talking lean here), bone marrow (yes, I'm saying bone marrow) and a mix of green vegetables in a tasty soup... so tasty, that it's totally understandable if one sipped it with a long and shameless sipping sound... and then ending it with a satisfied aaaah - with eyes closed! (My vegetarian friends: please pardon me.)

The sweetish taste of fresh beef combined with the tasty flavor of bone marrow - mingling after 5 to 7 hours of heating - give the soup its unique taste. For complete eating enjoyment, the bulalo has to be eaten hot - fresh from the pot, otherwise it would feel a little oily on the lips... and one has to bite and chew on the veggies periodically to rid the palate of the oily sensation. With its to-die-for taste and fat- and cholesterol-loaded recipe, it's an avenue to heaven... figuratively, and quite literally as well! :) Therefore, make an effort to eat sparingly. But if you're the kind of person who cannot stand the poking of dear health-conscious conscience, Tagaytay City has just the solution to your problem as well - fresh fruits... delicious, colorful, irresistible! And since the locals devour fruits like they were merely street foods rather than how City people eat them - like some luxury delicacy - you wouldn't feel like you're playing a part either if you wolfed a platter of fruits! :) If that doesn't work, then try to convince yourself with the fact that you don't come to Tagaytay at a rate faster than your body could metabolize fat and cholesterol. So cheer up... and sip away, baby! ;)

***

Actually, if one did half of the recommended activities in Tagaytay, there wouldn't be any reason to feel guilty for eating bulalo! :) Being a
mountainous place, Tagaytay has a cool climate all year round - one of the reasons why it is considered as one of the "vacation capitals" of the Philippines. Walking or hiking up and down the slopes would easily take up half of one's time sightseeing. If one started with these energy-expending activities, then eating bulalo would become more of a reward rather than an indulgence. Uhm, yeah, coming up with a plausible excuse to exercise foodiness - warranted or otherwise - is my forte! ;)

Talking about walking around Tagaytay, there are a lot of places to visit. For instance, the dilapidated "Palace in the Sky" - the unfinished palace of the Marcoses, built atop the highest mountain of Tagaytay... and abandoned after the Marcos rule ended. From the gate to the palace ground is a good 10-minute uphill climb... 15 if you're paying attention to the nice view... 20 if you're emotionally weak to take in so much beauty. :) The palace lawn is quite big, it does take up some energy to explore it... and then climbing the stairs of the palace itself to get the best view of the Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano is once again an energy expending activity. By the time one starts climbing down from the Palace, enough energy has been expended to warrant a bowl of bulalo! :)

We did a number of the recommended activities in Tagaytay in addition to visiting the "Palace in the Sky". We did visit the beautiful "Sonya's Garden". With its rich green vegetation, the garden is truly a tropical paradise. The narrow walkways lined by the most luscious of tropical shrubs and bushes, trees and blooms, blow the sweetest of fresh air on our faces as we lazily strolled to explore the garden. The updated villas from Spanish-Filipino era seemed to sprout charmingly from the luxurious greeneries that covered most of the land - very inviting. And so, we explored not just the garden but also the villas.

***

And then, on we moved to the breathtaking Dominican compound of Caleruega in Nasugbu, Batangas. The place is the usual venue of choice for spiritual retreats, especially by students of schools ran by Dominican friars. Intimate and very private weddings are held in the little chapel atop the hill in the compound as well. The place was heavenly - in its beauty and serenity. The garden landscape was delicate and meticulous, capturing both the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and the cultured elegance of a manicured lawn. The arhitectural design of the buildings resemble those of classy Spanish Mediterranean villas - elegant in a very cozy and homey way, and yet possessing the conservative aura of a convent. The place can really calm a troubled soul. Sitting on one of the stone benches that faced the sorrounding mountains, I cannot help but agree to the description of the place in the brochures: "Caleruega: Close to nature. Closer to God." Indeed, that's how it felt like up there!

***

A visit to Tagaytay will not be complete without tasting one of the prime commodities of the region: the "kape barako" or barako coffee. It is from a coffee variety grown in the nearby provinces of Batangas and Cavite, and known to be the best among Liberica species. Famously superior in taste than Robusta and Arabica, the kape barako is indeed a Filipino pride. The coffee, prepared by French press or by dip brewing the barako, does have a potent aroma and great taste! One of the best places in Tagaytay that showcases the uniqueness of kape barako is the "Bag of Beans". And so, we ate our dinner there and capped our visit with a sip of that Pinoy coffee with a truly delightful kick!

We then headed home - happily refreshed and totally satisfied by the sweetness of a wonderful family time! :)

***
Photographs: (1) The Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, viewed from the "Palace in the Sky"; (2) Bulalo; (3) Typical Tagaytay fruit platter; (4) Collage of photos from our family's Tagaytay weekend; (5) Collage of photos from our visit of "Sonya's Garden" in Tagaytay; (6) Collage of photos from Caleruega; (7) Kape Barako in "Bag of Beans" in Tagaytay. I own all the photographs.

***

Finally, it's vacation time...

...and my bed is getting crowded. ;)
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


The first semester of Academic Year 2010-2011 has finally come to an end... and I am free to go on vacation! Well, almost free... there are a few things that need to be done: "removal exam" for students who didn't make the "first cut" but did a few remarkable stuff in the semester, and therefore, deserve a "second chance"... the completion of grades of the same students, and a few research updates-related documents. Nevertheless, my craving for leisure reading and spending days sprawled in front of the TV - watching the Asian Food Channel, Sports Channel, NatGeo and Travel Channel, Lifestyle TV (Fashion and Architecture), or movie marathon - until I'd be ready to hit the kitchen to do some yummy experiments or to explore the countryside for a breath of fresh air kicked in... and they won't wait!

Books, maps, the cable box remote control and the ultimate artists/techie's toy - the iPad, of course - started to crowd my bed... and they make cozy bedmates, too... just because they induce very nice dreams! ;)

***

Missing...

...my mother as I watched the Costa-Gavras obra, "Missing", for the nth time.
======================================================
Philipina A. Marcelo

Exhausted from "laboring hard" to finish grading quizzes so I could return them to my students before the final examinations week, I took a much-needed pause. I decided to give myself a couple of hours to decompress and refresh. I was debating between leisure reading/walking (in the Mall, that is, hehe...) or spending my time productively on the mindless activity of fixing my walk-in closet, which was suffering from terrible neglect over the past two weeks or so of marathon lectures that it was no longer possible to walk in it!

I absently reached for the TV remote control and pressed the "on" button while entertaining my tired brain with the trivial debate. I automatically surfed the cable channels without paying attention to the programs, just letting myself be lulled by the blur of images and sounds as I flipped from one channel to another. And then, something caught my attention - a familiar music... from a long time ago - a slow melody on piano, melancholy but so sweet... my mind switched to "alert mode" instinctively and I started to pay attention. Hmmm... that music - unmistakably Vangelis! The movie... I retraced my way back to where the sound came from as my mind did a rapid scan through my memory shelves... there it was! Ooooh, of course it was "Missing" by the brilliant film maker, Costa-Gavras! It is one of my favorite movies of all times! All of a sudden, memory lane beckoned... and I allowed myself to be transported back in time when films were made for high-quality value first and commercial value second! Sweet!

"Missing" was one of Costa-Gavras' highly acclaimed political films - bold and daring in its exploration of power struggle in a country ruled by terror, a classic in its brilliant screenplay and editing, highly artistic in its beautiful cinematography and incredible musical score. It exposed the brutality and the utter absence of respect for human life in places where lust for power reigned... and the conspiracy that involved powerful nations that aided them, rather than abating the monstrosity's rise to power, in order to protect their selfish interests. The lies made and the willingness of democratic nations to turn a blind eye from the death of the very democracy that they stood for to win the favor of those who were unjustly clinging to power were horrific! Citizens were expected to align their thoughts with the powers that be without questions, otherwise, they would be eliminated. And so, people were constantly rounded up and arrested without apparent reason... if there were reasons at all, they were fabricated from the vile of sheer lust for power and the abhorable thirst for blood. The arrested usually never returned. In some cases, people merely disappeared... and were reported as missing... and never to be found again - alive.

The plot involved a man, Ed Horman (played with such rare powerful impact by Jack Lemmon), and his daughter-in-law's search for his missing only son, Charlie Horman (played so effectively by John Shea). The place was Chile, during the time of the infamous coup d'etat in the '70s. Charlie was an idealistic Harvard-educated journalist and artist who ventured to Chile with his politically left-leaning wife, Beth (played by the brilliant Sissy Spacek), much to Ed's disapproval. Propelled by his instinctive journalist's instinct, he uncovered the inner dark workings of a coup d'etat that pushed his idealism to its very core. Always optimistic even when faced with the most horrific of situations, he dug deep. His tenacity to get to the heart of the truth led him deeper into the dark pit of conspiracy between his government and the military strongmen that were to overthrow the oppressive yet legitimate government of Chile... the aftermath of the conspiracy plunged the country to a deeper pit of violence and disrespect for human life via military rule. As he pieced the clues and hard-dug little pieces of information together to draw the picture of truth, he became a target of the coup plotters and their supporters' disdain. Soon, he was picked up from his house by the military and disappeared... missing.

Upon learning of his son's disappearance, Ed traveled to Chile from New York to aid Beth in her search for Charlie. Ed and Charlie never saw eye to eye in their political views - Ed's political beliefs were conservative and he saw Charlie as an unreasonable and stubborn idealistic Marxist while Charlie saw his father's opposition to his political beliefs as an expression of his disapproval for the path he'd chosen for himself - that of a penniless journalist whose life was always on the line. Being a successful New York professional, Ed had big dreams for his only son... but Charlie was inclined to fulfill his big dreams for humanity - freedom and equality. Beth had the same idealistic mind and had chosen the same path as Charlie's, much to Ed's disapproval. Little did father and son knew about their much deeper oneness in thoughts and principles - that they had the same dream for humanity... the father's approach was through uncomplicated practice of profession and obedience to authorities without question, the son's approach was through writing about the truth and subscribing to the ideals of Marx. Both had kind hearts and simple desires... and a deep love for each other. But such love was cloaked with the superficial difference in approach to fulfill their common dream. The superficial polarity between father and son caused a rift between them, surmounting the much-deeper and more important similarities.

As Ed and Beth searched for Charlie, the father came to know more about his missing son... Beth served as the link between the two, introducing the son to the father by mirroring him to his father through herself - the true "other half" of the missing son... and the father came to realize how he and his son, and even Beth, were so alike... that in various circumstances - easy and hard - he found himself choosing, mostly instinctively, the same choices as his son made, which didn't surprised Beth as she got to know Ed better. Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek gave great performances in the film... as I always say, "whenever I think of great actors, Jack Lemmon in 'Missing' always comes to mind". And, for actresses, Sissy Spacek in "Missing" would definitely make the short list.

At the end of their search for Charlie, Ed found himself in exactly the same spot where Charlie was before he went missing... and with all the bitter realization of his son's true whereabouts as he himself uncovered the truth, he found joy in knowing that their every footstep matched, and that he arrived at exactly the same decision as Charlie had that caused his disappearance... the only difference was that Charlie was braver to have actually taken the selfless choice, for which Ed was absolutely awed by his son... and his love and respect for his son intensified - in ways that Charlie will never find out.

While the film narrated the violence that defined the coming to power of a military rule in a democracy-starved nation, the film also explored the beauty and complexities of human relationships... how some could be pure and easy in their honesty and openness, as that of Charlie and Beth's, while others can be overwhelming in their utter intensity that love was often mistaken for hatred, like that of Charlie and Ed's. Still, others are pure and beautiful, and yet they are hard to decode in their subtlety, like that of Ed and Beth's. Costa-Gavras' wonderful story telling was at its best in this film - he left his audience at the edge of their seats in suspense. At the same time, his artistic exploration of human relationships appeared to be a vital part of the storytelling rather than another objective. And so, in the end, he left the audience wondering whether the storytelling is a means to understand human relationships, or the exploration of human relationships was an artist's tool to make the storytelling more interesting and effective. In any case, the film was absorbing in ways most fascinating - an absolute classic in film making artistry!

***

The Costa-Gavras obra, "Missing", was one of the last few films I've watched with my late mother before she was taken away by cancer. She had such a great taste when it came to films, TV programs and books. I learned about "Peter the Great" of Russia and the venerable Padre Pio of Italia while hanging out with her and my siblings in front of the TV, snacking on her to-die-for pancit. I grew up wondering about India after watching with her the screen adaptation of "A Passage to India" by the legendary David Lean as well as the great Attenborough film, "Gandhi" in the early '80s... Films of brilliant local film makers like Lino Brocka ("Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang"), Ishmael Bernal ("Himala") and Mike De Leon ("Kisapmata") who made big waves in the '70s and '80s were part of our early education in local critically acclaimed film literacy, thanks to our mother.

Like my Mother, I was awed by the talent of Barbra Streisand, especially in "The Way We Were", and the classy grace and intellectual air that surrounded Ali MacGraw in "Love Story". And yet, I developed a liking for beautiful "techie" guys as I spent evenings savoring my TV time reward after finishing school homework with her and my siblings. We were big fans of Jan Michael Vincent in "Airwolf", Richard Dean Anderson in MacGyver, Pierce Brosnan in Remington Steele, and even the guys in "A Team". I became a big fan of Portia of "The Merchant of Venice" at the age of 10 because she told us the story with passion before I ever got to read the William Shakespeare romantic comedy a year later. My siblings and I are John F. Kennedy fans even if we all were born many years after his assassination - all because of our mother's books, magazine and newspaper cut-outs about JFK. I became a Charles Dickens believer after she suggested that I read "Tale of Two Cities", which I did in my early years as a devout bookworm. Most of my High School literature readings, I've already read even before stepping into High School - all out of inspiration from my mother. I've enjoyed debating with her over Elias' personality and principles while I was reading "El Filibusterismo" - one of the immortal novels of the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. There was so much to remember about her... and about the many lessons learned from her... and through her.

She was a most wonderful woman, my mother - beautiful, totally intelligent, outspoken, brave, idealistic, artistic, thoughtful, loyal and loving. But, just like Ed, her love for us, her kids, were masked by the oddly focused and strong desire to get us to the shore of success... even willing to carry us through to the finish line herself when we were faltering. When I think about it now, perhaps she had a premonition of her early demise, passing away at the age of 48, and therefore was eager to set us on our feet - strong and on track - early on. While I had so much admiration for her - more than I ever had for anyone else I'd admired in my life - as a teenager it drove me crazy how she seemed so controlling and domineering - always had opinion about things, especially regarding what I should do with my life. In her awesomeness and perfection, it was hard to grow in her shadow, however warm it was there... she was the persistent voice in my head, telling me what to do whenever an unusual circumstance occurred and I had to summon "untried wisdom" to come up with a decision... and it pissed me off how she was always right, no matter how hard I tried to use all the logic I so painstakingly learned in school just to come up with something akin to some reasonable decisions!

Despite my quiet rebellion, I was never disrespectful to her. And, just like Ed and Charlie, my mother and I had a lot of things in common... our idealism for one, and our love for anything artistic for another. I think I inherited her love for reading and writing, and her natural inclination to arts. I remember being awed by the decorated walls of her "homeroom" in school - she was an elementary school teacher. They were very colorful, artful and, at the same time, so highly informative for the students. Parents were so appreciative of her work and her dedication to teaching their kids. While I do not have "homeroom" to decorate, I do have my way of liberating my artistic side in teaching - Powerpoint. :) I could almost imagine my mother rolling her eyes at me... but deep inside, I knew she would be proud and delighted. :)

My mother was so committed to her teaching profession that as a little girl, I remember that our family's typical Saturday mornings were spent in her Graduate School - playing word games and doing school homework with my siblings while she attended classes. After her classes, my father would pick us up, from a weekend overtime in his own business, and Saturday afternoons were spent in the local parks close to her School. After church, Sundays were spent in her school "homeroom" helping her out with the wall decorations - cutting out letters, geometric figures, flowers and animals - and watering the plants inside and outside the room. And then my siblings and I were rewarded with a cone of ice cream, banana queue or her tastiest cookings afterwards - simple joys for big and meaningful efforts, simple rewards for big missions fantastically accomplished, and converting extra work time to sweet family time. That was our way of life, it was our frame of mind - it still is until now... all of it were borrowed from our mother - such priceless gifts that were absolutely irreplaceable.

It was probably those experiences that made me so committed to my own Academic profession as well... finding joy in the little things of great sacrifice that brought humongous success to my students - in many ways and in many forms...being free from the bondage of materialism and shallowness of purpose, and always having that voice in my head - no matter how stern and annoying - that kept me grounded and on course, especially in the most challenging times when hard decisions and choices were to be made. The lessons of idealism learned from my mother got embedded in my head and in my heart, more than I realized... and more than I was humble and brave enough to actually admit!

Irreplaceable - my mother is, and I do love her - totally. And... I miss her so!

***

Photo credits and Acknowledgement: (1) My photo (Part 1 of Thermodynamics Quiz #3); (2) "Missing" poster (grabbed from IMDb); (3) "Missing" still (grabbed from www); (4)"Missing" still (people were being rounded up by military, grabbed from www); (4) Collage of photos grabbed from various sources in the www, mostly wikipedia; (5)Collage of Mike De Leon, Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal films grabbed from various sources in the www; (6) My picture, "Morning with Mama" (with my mother and three siblings, waking up on a weekend morning and crowding our mother and father's bed, 1982); (7) My picture, "Weekend with Mama", (spending Saturday afternoon in Luneta Park with my mother and two siblings, and my mother's youngest brother, after my mother's Grad School classes, 1976); (8) My picture (thesis defense of my undergraduate students, January 2010).

***

33 lives saved in 22 hours...

...mission accomplished!!

======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


October 12, 2010: The world waited, hoping against hope that the Chilean miners trapped in the bowels of the daunting mountains of the San Jose Gold and Copper Mine for a total of 69 punishing days emerged alive and well! The world paused to pray with the families of the trapped men for the meticulously planned rescue operation to work, and for the catastrophe to find a happy ending. The world watched in admiration as the rescue team, propelled by the Chilean President himself, Sebastian Piñera, focused to carry out a mission of intense importance - bringing back and restoring 33 lives on the surface of the earth, and therefore sending a wonderful message to the world that hope springs from the goodness in peoples' hearts, and that hope can turn into the most cherished results through teamwork.

The world held its breath as the first rescuer, Manuel Gonzalez, was lowered into the borehole leading to where the trapped men were by Phoenix - the metal capsule that was the main tool of the Chilean rescue team. Reported to be approximately 21.5 inches in diameter, about 6 ft. and 4 inches tall, and weighed about 1,000 lbs, the capsule was able to hold a man, and an oxygen tank to sustain its passenger within the 20-minute rise to the surface, from more than 2,000 ft. below the ground. Phoenix had wheels on its outer wall that helped it slide through the hole as it was lowered and pulled up by a crane.

Minutes after Mr. Gonzalez reached the trapped men, the world erupted in joyful celebration as the first of the miners emerged to the surface... alive and very well! Carried by the Phoenix that spooned the miners one by one to the surface, Florencio Avalos, emerged first to a great jubilation in the four corners of the world. And then, 22 hours later... the last of the trapped miners, Luis Urzua, who was also the shift supervisor in the lot that got trapped emerged to the surface via Phoenix, too. To borrow President Piñera's words, "like a ship's captain", Mr. Urzua performed "his duty" until the very end by being the last to be freed from the darkness below the ground. The rescue team then unfurled a banner at the very pit that held the 33 men hostage for more than two months... the banner read: "Mission Completed, CHILE". It was as if to say, "wives and children, parents and siblings, friends and loved ones, here we return these men, our brothers, to you - these men whose lives are part of yours... so you may live long and happy lives with them. Mission accomplished!" And, indeed it was... and most wonderfully, too!

***

It's a man's world... and that isn't just the engineer in me talking!

After getting used to having my TV time interrupted by "breaking news" on the Gulf War in the early 1990s... and later, by the 911 tragedy in New York City, the killings and assaults in Iraq, Darfur and Maguindanao, the Afghanistan insurgency, the power struggle in Pakistan and in Zimbabwe, and the seemingly unending bloodsheds between the Israelis, the Palestines and their neighbors, human and drug trafficking, not to mention that Wall Street greed-induced tremors that triggered the global economic downturn in the late 2007 and eventually led to the catastrophic collapse in 2008 - all orchestrated and participated in by powerful men... at some point I've been losing faith in the goodness in men's heart. In frustration, I asked myself once... is this all that men want: war and bloodshed, money and power, sex and instant gratification, dominance over one another? Isn't there love in their hearts, too? Isn't there goodness in their souls? Must they rule the world with guns and bullets, greed and unbounded ambition, pride and selfishness, lies and conspiracy, and with blatant disregard for innocent lives that are abruptly ended even before they bloomed? Have they no respect for human lives at all? And then the picture of the men at the head of the North Korean ruling dynasty flashed on TV... there's my answer! :(

While I find consolation in watching sports to keep reminding myself how men - some of the most beautiful at that - could actually use their impressive power - both physical and mental - their admirable ability to focus on the prize of victory, and their natural, almost instinctive, flare for teamwork to dominate in non-violent and non-catastrophe-inducing avenues, and in absolutely inspiring ways, too, sometimes (never mind that they pick up fat checks for playing the part), the on-going interruptions of those "breaking news" usually cancelled my sports-induced reverie. While, ironically enough, most of the people I admire are men... the miners of San Jose, Chile and their rescuers painted an entirely different picture for me altogether....

Indeed, on that fateful day, 12th of October 2010, the Chilean men showed the world the value of teamwork and the genuine caring for one another, like they were each other's brothers, looking after each other... keeping the beacon of hope in places where there seem to be nothing else but darkness... helping one another to keep going through a collective desire to survive for the sake of their loved ones... risking and lending their own lives to the other in order to extend them rather than putting an end to them.

Ah, men are good after all. Love and goodness reside in their hearts - it is possible... how can it be not? The mere thought of it is beautiful - the way it should be! And, in their best moments, they are absolutely beautiful - the way they were meant to be... and capable of accomplishing impossible missions in awesome beauty!


***
Photo credits and acknowledgement: (1) Phoenix: Getty Image, grabbed from Telegraph; (2) Chile Rescue Team "mission accomplished" - grabbed from CBBC-BBC News; (3) collage of Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal and Diego Forlan - individual photos grabbed from various sports and news websites.

***

Summation of simple joys = A delicious week

...hardwork + play + joyful mini reunion + a little surprise = happyness
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


The past week has been one of those times when it felt like some nice angels trying to overcome boredom on the clouds took notice of me - after a few months of neglect, and decided to wink at my lucky stars... blowing a breath of truly refreshing air in my direction. It felt like I was rained on by the proverbial magic dust... it was a lovely feeling - it more than made up for the months of neglect! :)

Last Monday, my senior research students got back from their weekend recollection held at the Dominican Retreat House. Nestled among the breathtaking hills of Caleruega in Nasugbu, Batangas, the House was both serene and beautiful, the students loved it there. They brought me presents from their trip, which caught me "emotionally unprepared". :) After my lectures in the morning, I was ready to spend the whole afternoon holed up in my office at the Research Complex. I wasn't expecting my research students for I knew that they were coming back that day, and therefore, may need to take the day off from school. I was surprised when they came into the lab quietly in the afternoon and went about their work... and then just before they left in the early evening, they knocked on my door and handed me my presents: a lovely little plaster sculpture of St. Dominic, a box of my favorite cashew tarts, and a box of cashew polvoron. I accepted the presents with my mouth open... and a tentative, "thanks, guys" - I was lost for words. After a few minutes of staring at the presents, I realized that they came with letters... I read the letters, and that's where the emotional unpreparedness manifested itself by the gentle tugging at the heart... a pure but subtle energy that almost condensed to tears. All I could see were thank you's - lots of them... they swam in front of my eyes, in my head... and in my heart. Surprisingly, while it felt as delicious as drinking a fine Italian wine, it wasn't intoxicating... it felt rather calming - blissful!

***

Tuesday and Wednesday lightly went by in a breeze... no complications. I felt like both days were made for serene existence - just being in harmony with what each second brought. It felt like a fluid dance where the body merely went with the flow of music, like it had a mind of its own, like both were meant for each other. And, I glided, and swayed, and twirled - allowed myself to be swept away... paused to catch my breath... and went again - and again! Ah, delicious! :)

Thursday was special in that one group of my research students and I finally found what we were looking for in our work!! Our ploy, care of father Science, to cajole Mother Nature with a slew of relentless and methodical trials to reveal another one of her secrets to us paid off... she softened, and she spilled the beans! Hurray! :) And then, as if the angels were delighted by my squeal of excitement, they seemed to turn up the magical dust flow... somebody sent me an e-mail. Every word and punctuation in the e-mail, and especially the professional position of the sender - all of it made up a promising research-related partnership in the offing. Sweet! :)

Friday was heaven! In the morning and early afternoon, I gave lectures on my favorite engineering topic these days - flux modeling and process design in Membrane Technology. It went very well.... I thought I knew how much I loved discussing the topic, but even I was taken by surprise by just how "crazed" I was with it - I got completely lost in the lecture myself. I felt like I was going to burst in the seams... I needed several horsepower of sheer will to restrain myself from gushing! =) I lectured with brute force until I was blue in the face! I think that the students were close to clapping after the two-hour lecture... but they seemed to realize clapping would be weird in a regular class lecture - I would think the same, actually, even if the thought was delicious. :)

***

Friday evening was a Wonderland... just because it involved the (sizzling) hot John Mayer! A sister, three nieces, a friend and I went to see "John Mayer Live in Manila 10.01.10" at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. The venue was open-air... and it was raining - cats and dogs! Undeterred by rain, we went and sang the night away with the fabulous John Mayer... talk about delicious! =) We had reasons to celebrate, too... it was a belated birthday celebration for one niece, a first job celebration for another, and a belated "congratulations" celebration for another who just passed the Nurse Licensure Examination - in one try, of course! :) So it was a good time to let our hair down and enjoy the music of one talented musician who came to perform in Manila - for the first time.

John Mayer was amazing... we had so much fun singing with him, and dancing to a number of his songs - in the rain! He treated his Manila fans with his "Room for Squares" songs, some with new arrangements and updated vocals, peppered with impressive guitar solos. His voice was husky, low, and "quiet"... even when he's all a-rockin' and fired-up - totally S.E.X.Y. Of course, the enthusiastic crowd was wowed... and they screamed, howled and twirled in the gushing rain! :) My personal favorites were "Love Song for No One", which he sang beautifully, and "Why Georgia" where he reiterated his hypothesis on "quarter-life crisis"... it's amazing how the emotional chaos in the lyrics could send shivers down one's spine - deliciously - by the carress of his voice... *gasp*... but, of course, just like everyone else, I died a little bit with "Your Body is a Wonderland" - colossally romantic and, oh, so sexy! Whew! :) It was great to hear him do a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" as well... adding the John Mayer touch - new arrangement a la "Neon", complete with his signature drawl, titillating discreet moan (oy!), and awesome guitar playing - whew, hot! So, that was probably why it was raining - some cooling effect was (badly) needed! ;) It looked like even the angels were pleased by JM that the rain stopped and let us enjoyed the last five or six songs with our umbrellas folded... the air all tasted of JM's music - and it was sweet and delicious!

We got hungry after expending tons of energy to contain the electrifying performance of John Mayer. So, we capped the night feasting on a really classic Pinoy treat - lugaw, in ... well, where else but in Lugawan Republic at Tomas Morato! =) I wanted to keep it "pure and simple", so I ordered a "basic" lugaw while everyone else got adventurous and ordered the more intricate variants. We also shared two servings of the mouthwatering tokwa't baboy while we viewed our photos and videos from the concert, laughing at each other like mad and eating like there wasn't enough lugaw in the world. :) We parted ways at the Lugawan... and made plans for another escapade con bonding soon. Needless to say, we went home all satisfied... wonderful experience - concert in the rain, great bonding time, celebrating milestones in my young nieces' lives with great music in the background, and belly-satisfied as well. Delicious!

***

Careful not to wake the village, I restrained myself from belting out "Love Song for No One" and tiptoed to my room from the JM Concert. Mindful of my "date" with former students the next day... well, on the same day, actually 'cause I got home after midnight, I went to bed trying to imagine what the mini reunion would be like. In the morning, staggering to the kitchen to fix myself my morning "shots" of coffee, I almost squealed at the sight of my "wooden finds" in the TV/living room - from my bargain hunt with my sisters two weeks ago! The shiny hardwood center table with laminated drawers greeted me with a truly smug artsy elegance... and I made a double take and wheeled towards it! :) I shook my head to think about how it got there... and remembered that the day before was the end of the 10-working day wait until its delivery. Aww, wow! And then, I remembered, I purchased one more... I turned, and there it was - my wooden console table! It wasn't as smug as the center table... but it stood with quiet and classic elegance, too.

I turned to grab the little table-top pieces of decor I picked up here and there while I waited for the new furnitures to arrive, and tried them on the center and console tables. The kind angels seemed to be paying attention to what I was doing, and what it did to my mood... the morning sun peeked through the windows to touch the top of the center table, and it shone beautifully - I was dazzled, it made me giggle! :) Suddenly, there was a surge of delicious energy that almost cancelled out my need for morning caffeine and I bounced around. I went about eating breakfast and listening to the morning news, admiring my "bargain finds" at the same time... as if the fresh memories of the JM concert the night before wasn't enough to bring smile to my lips. I was so happy, it made me look forward to my "date" with great anticipation!

***

Aah, Saturday!

After fulfilling a "daughter's duty", I raced to the University to attend my senior students' "Career Talk" Seminar. The speaker was my former student and thesis advisee who currently holds an intimidating position - regional level (Asia-Pacific) - in a giant multinational that is known for innovation and excellence... and she's married with two kids... and is only 35!

The moment I saw her... with her whole family in tow, towering waves of emotions hit me - joy, pride, longing, excitement, thankfulness... I floated with glee! She gave a really engaging career talk, simply because she's spoken on a very personal note... chronicling her journey to where she is now, learning very good lessons from every experience, and using all the lessons learned to move to the next phase of her career - better and wiser each time. The students and I were completely absorbed... deliciously awed! From a teacher's perspective, it was beautiful to watch her showing my current students how her present could be their very future... and I was surrounded by the delicious air of meaningful success! She made me feel how the past 21 years of committing myself to my profession was so worth it!

She went on to interact with the students until her family came back to remind her of the "real reason" why they were there - my ice cream date with the kids. :) I promised to treat her little girl to a cone of ice cream in the campus after getting one of the highest grades in her class in the second quarter... and her little boy for the wonderful progress he was making in his school, too. Her husband, who is making waves in his workplace as well, is also a former student of mine... in fact, they worked together in their undergraduate thesis, and I stood as their adviser together with a colleague. I was very young and extremely aggressive back then, and they matched my every step, my every leap as I sprinted tirelessly to accomplish as much as I could as the Laboratory Supervisor of my Department. Together, we made up the very young and productive group of Thomasians who had nothing else in mind but to make a difference for our Alma Mater in terms of modernizing our Laboratory facilities and programs... and we're successful, too! :) Working with them back then, I saw how they grew and matured to be promising engineers... I saw them get married and build their home a few years after graduation. Now, after several years, I was overjoyed to see them fulfill the promise I saw in them when they were still students - even surpassing them so impressively! But even more gratifying was the fact that they turned out to be very good parents... their lovely kids bounced around them cheerfully with a great sense of security in the warmth of their parents' nurturing affection. Obviously, they are very well reared and thoroughly loved lucky little souls.

Ah, the air tasted of the most delicious flavor of love! And, yeah, our ice cream date was a success - yum!

***

Compliments to "The Chef"!

I had an extra-special week, and therefore, I went to give thanks - extra-special way, too - to The One who prepared a sumptuous week-long menu and put those angels on a cook out mission! Rather than hearing mass in our Village church - a few meters away from our place, I went with a sister to hear mass in the Sto. Domingo church, about 10 km from our place. I offered prayers and lit candles for my current and past students, for my loved ones, and for my angels and myself. As I watched the smoke rose to the clouds... I found myself wishing that the angels turn them into magic dust once again. ;)

***

Hmmm, those kind angels must be giggling happily on that cottony and delicious Cloud 9. I just knew it... 'cause I was! :)

***