Ah, Windy City... I miss you. Hope to see you... soon. :)
My first Summer getaway with my Grad School friends in Ithaca, New York happened about a decade ago. It was a long drive from NY to Chicago. We were in a three-van convoy - all provided by Cornell, plus a car driven by the guys who wanted to stay a bit longer in the Windy City. We attended the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Meeting + Expo... volunteering for the event, supporting those of us who were in the various competitions, cheering on those who were presenting papers and posters among us, meeting Cornell Alumni, joining Students Congress and partying (for free) in Company Mixers, and listening to excellent, excellent lectures/presentations by our brilliant professors, scientists and industry practitioners. It was an amazing experience!
My last Summer getaway with my former peers in Grad School in New York happened a couple of years back. It was a looong trip from Manila to Chicago... to attend the IFT Meeting + Expo. It was so worth it! Some of us were the ones who were giving the lectures/talks already that time, while some of us were judges in the students competition. :) We all attended the Cornell Alumni event - as alumni, reaching out to students. We still partied (for free) in Company Mixers... but we had enough money of our own to dine somewhere nice and fancy. :) And yes, we still enjoyed those excellent, excellent lectures/presentations by our former professors, scientists who are our role models, and industry practitioners (some are from our group). Yep, 'dorks' - that's what we were, that's what we are now... I don't think that'll change anytime soon either. :)
Ah, Windy City... thanks for the memories. And, yep, I'm ready for new ones! Are you? :)
... go away! =================================================================== by PAM Climate change... 600 mm of rain in just 24 hours. Oy! :(
Philippines, my Philippines... stay strong. Five days of rain... is depressing. This might be appropriate...
"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone...
...only darkness everyday."
Alright, let's try being positive about this, shall we? How 'bout this...
"When it's over, so they say...
...it'll rain a sunny day."
Hmmm, 'sunny day'... there you go - positive! Therefore, we dance with this...
"I feel the love that's really real, walkin' on sunshine, baby, wooah...
...and don't it feel good!"
Hey, Bill (Withers), she's back... Katrina is - your sunshine. :) D'ya see the rain - on a sunny day, d'ya feel the warmth, d'ya feel the love that's really real? Yes? Good! Let's hope for a better day tomorrow, okay? Alright then, stop weeping! :)
***
Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links. ***
Yep, smellin' the flowers has become a luxury. It has gotten to a point when I needed to get sick in order to afford the time to smell the flowers... and in my own garden patch, too - at home! What else can I say... except, 'what have I done to deserve this... uhm, cruelty''? Oh, well....
That's going to be some climb right there. Aw, but just imagine the view from up there though. I'm sure it'll be worth the painfully laborious climb... or not. There's only one way to find out.
"What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded... sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly."
- George Saunders Convocation Speech for the Class of 2013 of Syracuse University, New York published on July 31, 2013, "The 6th Floor", NY Times For Academic people like myself, it is very easy to relate to Mr. Saunders's experience... those 'failures of kindness', and the wanting to be kind and less selfish. In this profession, there is not a day that doesn't end with us not wondering whether we have done 'enough'... in showing our students the path to unselfishness, kindness - with our own ways as examples, especially in treating them, in serving as their mentors. But what else really landed solidly on my 'unkind jaw' among the Saunders efficient 'jabs and punches' in his speech is this: "We get our butts kicked by real life, and people come to our defense, and help us, and we learn that we’re not separate, and don’t want to be." I remember judging one person harshly sometime back, not by what he used to say and do really, but by how he said what he said and how he did what he did. Like many others then, kindness was definitely not a part of my vocabulary when he was concerned. In fact, I
Heartfelt smiles sustain kindness... ...are sustained by kindness.
was close to disliking him to real resentment. But these days... now that I am experiencing what he used to experience on a daily basis, I am beginning to understand why he said what he said and did what he did. I'm still not quite convinced as to the way things should be said and how things should be done... but, I guess, that's only natural, because we are two different people with different ways of expressing ourselves and doing things. But what I did find out was... we live by exactly the same values and principles in life! We have the same exact 'grand and ambitious intention' to make things better... for others. And these days, when things get rough and unbearable, it is usually he - the same person I almost disliked to the apex of resentment - who goes out of his way to quietly lift my spirit with words of wisdom and hope, with touching acts of unselfishness, with endearing sense of humor, with sincere understanding... and, yes, earnest kindness. And I do appreciate... it helps in staying positive about what's out there... in the immensity that I long for. If only I wasn't too 'detached' from the Universe then when he was doing what he did, and saying what he said... there might have been enough opportunities to be kind then, and I could have taken advantage of them all to fulfill a human being's lifetime 'quota' for kindness. Then again, maybe this is what Mr. Saunders meant by'some of this “becoming kinder” happens naturally, with age.' And I just most recently celebrated my 45th birthday. :) Therefore, kindness, come... you are welcome! :) ***
'Vast unknown'? 'Exciting immensity'? Whatever it is... we're going in! May 'the force' be with us! :)
...I remember traveling by plane sometime back from Chicago to San Francisco. I remember staring at the 'slow moving view' outside my window. That stretch of beautifully 'sculptured' landscape in the photo and the fluffy and low-hanging cotton-like clouds above it kept me awake the whole time. It made me wonder what it's like to skydive out there.... Ah, must be awesome! Alright, I'm putting that on 'my list'... before arthritis takes over my life. :) ***
"Too young, too dumb to realize... that I should've bought you flowers and held your hand."
...is making me feel nostalgic. Perhaps, it's because Bruno Mars is looking like a '70s guy, and singing with moving feelings like a... uh, yeah, a '70s guy in this video. And it doesn't help that today, we say bye-bye to July (2013) - my birth month. Boo. It feels like jumping off from my 'lucky star' to the vast unknown. Yep, I admit, it scares me some.
'Vast'. Hmmm... wait, isn't 'vast' synonymous to 'immense'?
Ah, immensity. It reminds me of one respectable person who, just a few days ago, advised, "Thomasian leadership is all about the longing for immensity...."Yep, good stuff!
Hmmm... do I long for immensity? What d'ya think? Uhm, nah, you don't have to answer that! Let's just listen to BM... and continue feeling nostalgic.
*** Farewell...
Bye, July! It's been great - as always. :)
Thanks, 'lucky star'. You have been very challenging, incredibly exciting, beautifully breathtaking, joyfully inspiring, and sadly devastating - all in one breath! But I never expected anything less from you. You didn't disappoint... and that's all that matters. I'll reminisce you in the years to come with great fondness and... yeah, pride... and just a little bit of regret. :)
Alright, August... show us what you've got! And don't ya hold back... because we aren't holding back!
*** Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.
Yep, it's another sunset photo, lomo-ish this time.
I just love sunset. It's a flash of red in imminent darkness... like the courage and passion of a wounded warrior, whose spirit is unconquerable, no matter the hardship... even when the last drop of blood has already been shed, even when the blanket of darkness was about to unfurl.
Sunset... the passion that surrenders to darkness,
only to come back silently at the break of dawn,
and burst to a glorious new day... at sunrise!
When I'm feeling frustrated, I rummage through my sunset photos... to remind myself how beautiful it is, to inspire me to hope for a better prospect.
To labor through another day is worth it, if only to see once again sunset's incredible beauty. That beautiful and dramatic flash of red just before the world plunges in darkness. It seems to promise that it will come again, after a moment of silence in the darkness, while we recuperate to regain our strength... and hope to see yet another day.
And, true enough, the beautiful red light comes at the break of dawn, fulfilling our hopes... creeping silently, and then bursting powerfully to a great light that illuminates our world to yet another beautiful day!
Another day... another opportunity to fulfill our dreams, those that our spirits weave as our souls commune with the Maker in the restful silence of our sleep.
*** Location: Somewhere in the North Luzon Expressway, Philippines. I took this photo sometime back in a 'speeding' vehicle. 'Shooting on the run'... yep, guilty! ;) I remembered and followed a friend's advice to wait until the sun sinks fully in the horizon before taking a photo, 'cause then the color would be more dramatic... the redness of the sky is far more intense and incredible. He was right!
Ah, I wish for that day when I would have the luxury of time to just sit down and wait for sunset... and take photos of the various stages of its unfolding beauty. Oy, retirement, what is taking you so long?????
Yep! I need a break - quick! ========================================================================== by PAM
The more we think about things, the more they become complicated... but when we stop 'obssessing' about things, all of a sudden, they appear simple, doable, logical... all the pieces of the puzzle fall on their right places. And everything just makes so much sense. And we wonder, "why didn't I think of that sooner?" Why, indeed!
Therefore, I'm going to stop 'obssessing' over this 'piece of puzzle' in front of me right now and take a break with this instead....
"Oh, Starlight, don't you cry, we're gonna make it right before tomorrow.
Oh, Starlight, don't you cry, we're gonna find a place where we belong.
And so you know, you'll never shine alone...."
Aw, man, that sounds so good! Awesome guitar playing by the incredible Slash - awesome, awesome! And, boy, why can't I sing like that? So not fair! :) Then again, perhaps, it's a lot simpler to be just watching, admiring... and listening to him 'beautiful dude' with beautiful vocal cords, Myles Kennedy... than being him. :) Therefore, I'll stick to me... I'm glad I'm me. But, ya bet, I'll sing that beautiful song - in the shower! :)
Alright, back to the 'puzzle'....
*** Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the videolink.
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