There is Always a Better Place

Just like in previous times, my blog surfing has always been a learning experience and sometimes even rewarding and inspiring. I clicked a medical blog today, one that has been on "Blogs of Note". It led me to the site of one very courageous mother and what I read there caused me some shame. You see, I've been complaining lately of so many things not going my way, obssessing on them and making the proverbial mountains out of small hills. It had made me one cranky lady these days and the hubby is starting to take notice. But, loving me as he does, he is trying to take it all in stride, just keeping his silence and letting me be. But that's another story. Anyway, the posts of this mother about all (as in ALL) three of her children's affliction with PRIMARY IMMUNO DEFFICIENCY placed my problems into its proper perspective. Needless to say, comparing what she had to go through for what could be for the whole lifetimes of her kids zapped my own problems into the molehills they should be.

Her blog is an inspiration for those who go through what could be seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their life, that "things would get better"...that there is always a better place from where we are now, that while things could still go downhill, from there, things have no where to go but up. You laugh and cry with her as she experience all the pains and joys of bringing up her children afflicted with a chronic illness, of ensuring them a life lived fully and richly notwithstanding. "Look Through Our Eyes..." tells that story

Ssister Blog

Hey, I've got a new blog. Click here to visit.

Something Better is To Come

Feeling blue lately? Down and out for not getting what you have been aiming for or wanting to have? Maybe this could help. Check out this sistah with optimism written all over her. Click here

Feast Day of St. Bartolomew 2008, Patron Saint of Catbalogan City

I just came back from Catbalogan City after joining the Catbaloganons in celebrating their 2008 Fiesta. I was able to attend the Mass concelebrated by the Archbishop of the Diocese of Calbayog with scores of other priests in the diocese.


The Feast Day Mass of St. Bartolome at the St. Bartolome Church

The Church of St. Bartolomew where the mass was held is a revelation. As I entered its doors, the first thing that drew my attention were the faces of the Twelve Apostles muralled on stain-glassed windows. At the center was the creatively lighted altar installed with backlights interplaying yellow and orange hues on the different images of the Christ, Mama Mary and the other saints. The result is beautiful without being ostentatious. Someone whispered that these renovation of the church was mainly through the efforts of its previous parish priest who has since been reassigned elsewhere.

As expected, the church was packed, and despite me and the hubby turning up a full hour earlier before the Mass began, we could no longer get seats. Seems we and hundreds of others had the same brilliant idea. It was blowing hot with the full force of the midday sun bearing down on the inside of the church. But despite the heat, my hubby was resolved to finish the Mass, and I, sweat running down my face notwithstanding, did the same. After all what is a few hours of discomfort for a panata and a devotion? Indeed, the devotion of my fellow Filipinos never cease to amaze me. Not one person left the church from start to finish, at least from my vantage point, inspite of the sweltering heat. Perhaps this is what contributes to the resilience of the Pinoy in the face of so many economic adversities, his unwavering faith.

Apart from the religious significance, the sight in Catbalogan City during its fiesta is one that is replicated all over the country. It is a a week long festivities and the day before there was a parade of cultural dances and as well as numerous contests. THere is also the usual baratillo with vendors hawking everything from clothes to kitchen wares and home items. Of course, no fiesta is complete without the carnival with its rides and gambling stalls. Just like in any town or city, streamers of fiesta greetings from this or that politico or bigwigs as well as corporate sponsors line the streets. And the traffic, gridlock is everywhere when the clock strikes twelve noon. That's the time when everyone starts the beeline for the homes that have served up a banquet for the "patronizers", visitors and guests who come to celebrate the fiesta. This is one party where invitations are not needed and required. I even call it the big equalizer as people from all walks of life are welcomed and feast on the same fare prepared for them regardless of stripe, color or class. And just to show you the extent of Filipino hospitality, lucky guests can are given the ubuquitous "bring home"(take home). "Makakaon pa, may bitbit pa (You get to eat as well as bring some food home)." Onli in da Philippines. Of course this is only for close family and friends so don't go around asking for one.

One might say that the fiesta celebration is an extravagance we can do without in view of the present economic hardships, but how do you convince a people that have deeply ingrained the fiesta not only in their culture but in their way of life of such practical considerations? One senator with an American accent tried but failed miserably, his bill to abolish fiesta gathering dust in the archives of the senate never to be revived again.

Why There Will Be an Everything Waray Part Two

I'm always fond of fidgeting around, experimenting and I did this with this blog. This time this penchant of mine has made me lose my beloved template for my everythingwaray blog. I converted to the classic template and now have difficulty getting back. I've joined a blog discussion group and it looks like a bug that's why I can't upgrade to the new template or go back to where I was before I made the conversion. I loved the other template as I could just drag around the elements of my blog's page as well as add links and gadgets which I cannot do now with the classic template unless I'm an expert on HTML and XML editing which I'm not. My previous blog system had a "layout" tab instead of the "template" one here on the converted classic. So you will observe there so many things missing on my blog page. My lists are gone, my header picture too and now you can't click to older posts link on the same page. To view the rest of my posts you have to click the corresponding month in my archives.

I'm giving blogspot a week to fix my problem, otherwise I will open up a new blog (which will be the upgraded version and would contain the layout tab). This time, there will be no tinkering around. I will then manually (gosh, that would really be tedious) re-encode all my posts from this blog to that one. That's because I like my previous template, can't live without it. I have to have my lists and my header pictures which I change every week and I can't do that with the classic template.

Really, when they said "if it aint broke, don't fix it", they weren't joking. I'm not laughing.

Upcoming Post on Catbalogan Fiesta 2008

Two days from now I will be in Catbalogan City to attend the Feast of Saint Bartolomew. I promise to write a post about it and hopefully include pictures. That day has a personal significance for me and the hubby as he was born on that day thirty five years ago. He never fails to attend the fiesta mass year in and year out for as long as he's just here and not on official travel. Its his sort of a panata (promise) to the patron saint for many graces received (e.g. ending up with me, hehehe) This time I'll be with him as the day falls on a Sunday and there's no work. So do be back and visit my blog for that post...

Sweet Talk - one fine dining place

Pssst. Let me tell you something... I stumbled upon a "sweet" surprise yesterday when my best friend from college and I met up today for a late afternoon snack. We needed to catch up on each other as we haven't hooked up for the longest of time.

Things are so much different now and so unlike in college and in the years after. We were still fancy-free then and could go out anytime we liked with nary a thought of how things would be in the home front as we still lived with our parents. But now, as homemakers ourselves, any social plans can only be made after adjustment are made on our donestic duties (e.g. ensuring that dinner would be ready when the hubby comes, children are fed and tutored, etc.). Yes, we still are fancy, but not that free anymore.

So there we were at the Tacloban Convention Center, a fast growing dining hub, and decided to try a restaurant that showed much promise from the outside. Far from its name, "Sweet Talk" serves anything but desserts. It's menu consists of pizzas, pasta dishes and sandwiches. No rice meals around here. At first glance the items look pricey as nothing goes below 150php for a single order, except for the beverages of course. But not to worry for the budget-conscious diner, they have big servings and an order of a plate of any pasta dish is good enough to share. A pizza priced at 185php-up can satisfy the hunger pangs of three people.

Finding some of the pasta items unfamilar and not feeling adventurous at that time, we had carbonara, something we easily recognized. It was more than filling as between the two of us. Verdict: four thumbs up. The sauce was a little on the sweet side, but just an eensi weenie bit. Perhaps this was due in part to the rich milk and cream that was added to it. The pasta noodles was cooked just right, soft but not sticky. Bits of bacon and ham and a sprinkling of mushrooms added spice and a certain tanginess that went well the slight sweet taste. Its one of the best carbonara I've had. The trick here is in the sauce, real creamy and the pasta was full of it.With drinks, our bill was only Php220.00 with no service charge. Now that's what I would call reasonable.

Looking around I felt transported to one of those dining places in Greenbelt. Finally, a place whose food matched the calibre of that hard to quantify criterion of any restaurant, its ambiance. When we asked who the owner was, it figured, Jose Karlo's interiors was just as tastefully done in rich wood colors. It's restrooms are clean and is beautiful enough to lounge on. If the carbonara is any indication, then the food here is definitely a must try.

With an almost perfect view (the shanties does obscure the waterfront), fine food, elegant interiors and reasonable prices, what's there not to like about "Sweet Taste"?

Why Microsoft Wants Yahoo! Badly

I know, these isn't remotely connected to my blog's title, but I just had to talk about this latest development from Redmond, Washinton. I feel the world is going through some seismic changes and I just had to contribute my two cents worth. As I have said earlier, the Net and the Worldwide Web is the is THE PLACE to be nowadays and in the future. Nowhere have I seen the power of ethernet, broadband, DSL and dial-up than right here in blogger's world. I have witnessed how one man's voice can reach thousand and even millions at the click of a mouse. More and more people are getting hooked up to the Internet and these more and more people are depending more and more on it to do their daily activities. Shopping, mail, research, finding professional services, sourcing jobs, outsourcing jobs, networking, reading the daily paper which is now online, downloading music, downloading videos, video conferencing, booking hotels, booking flights are but only a few in an endless list of uses that the Net has provided. Businessmen have taken notice and advertisers as well. Nary a big store or establishment will you find that does not have a website. The power of the Internet is one that is not yet fully tapped and woe to the IT company that does not realize this. Which now bring us the answer to the title of this post.

Post-Bill Gates Microsoft still retains the far-off vision of its founder, and is very much aware of what the future brings. It knows that to remain at the top of the game as well as be relevant in the techno world, it needs to adjust and adapt. What it is about Yahoo! that has brought about the $40 billion dollar offer? Simple. It's network and search engine. All who goes on the Internet makes use of the search engine. This is the software gadget that finds whatever you are looking for on the Net based on the key words that you type into the search box. A list of all the websites or URL's that contains these keywords then appear on your screen ranked according to a criteria or software developed by the search engines owners. And how do the search engines do this? They crawl through all accessible websites for texts it might have that contain the key words. This is how it works. Let's say an internet surfer wants to install a new kitchen cabinet. He types in "kitchen cabinet" in the search box and clicks. In nanoseconds, a list appears of websites containing the word "kitchen cabinet". Imagine how much a company would give and do just to appear on the top of the first page of that list. And that is just one side of the story. I have not talked here yet of placements on URL's for ads.

Whew! That is quite a mouthful for a non-techie like me to say.

It is these resources of Yahoo! that has Microsoft salivating and so far Yahoo! is not biting. So you see now why I do persist in making posts that hopefully will gain more readership, apart of course from the high and fulfillment of a piece I could be proud of brings? We have to take a ride on the new wave of the future and that future is in the Net.

Hudimhudim (Superstitious Beliefs of the Warays)

I'm now waiting for my client and in the meantime, after I have done my requisite research needed for her problem, I've decided to compile and share with you some beliefs that have taken to becoming gospel truths for some of our rural folks. Take it from my yaya who always takes me to task for cuttting my nails at night. It brings bad luck daw. And, no, you shouldn't praise a baby's good health as she might be "mabubuyagan"(the opposite could happen soon, in this case, the baby could get sick). A favorite of mine is the "tabi apoy"(excuse us, spirits of the underworld). Your supposed to say this when crossing an isolated patch of trees or shrubbery or anywhere that is believed to be inhabited by mystical creatures. Otherwise, youwould be disturbing their peace and suffer their wrath in the form of horrific skin blisters. In places where a dermatologist is an almost unknown specie and a trip to one an unaffordable luxury, this explanation comes in handy for skin diseases. This is where the kulam or tambalan comes in. His expertise is called upon and he makes the usual incantations and herbal preparations said to assuage the angry spirits. Actually sometimes the problem is nothing that a tube of Trosyd or Clostrasone ointment can't solve. But then long-held and age old beliefs have held fast despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

When I gave birth years ago, I ran into an avalanche of such beliefs, and rather then offending some sensitive feelings, dutifully complied to its adherents e.g. you can't sleep with you back to your baby; you can't take a bath until after a week at least (the latter I just couldn't do), but the one I truly liked was "babaye im anak kay mahusay ka na burod"(Your baby will be a girl becuase your a beautiful pregnant woman). Modesty aside, they said I was one blooming preggy and...perhaps this is why superstitions die hard, my baby did turn out to be a girl. But the winner of all hudimhudim...drumroll please... is the belief that bathing during menstruation can make you insane. Hmmm...Perhaps that explains some of our leaders' erratic behaviour?

All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg, for more of the Pinoy's unscientific explanations for the unknown, you might take a visit to this site click here.

Hello There!

I've been very quiet lately. You see I have been to a place where no Internet connection can be had. Yes, there places like that do still exist. Which makes subscribing to SMARTBro or Globe's wireless internet connections quite attractive. You can get connecvtivity wherever there is a SMART or Globe signal, you just have to buy their kit and pre-paid cards. This way, you will always wired to the Net.

Now, I don't know if that's a good thing or not, to be always virtually connected. Sometimes, the Net can be a bothersome distraction most especially during family bonding time. The three days that I was in isolation, Internet-wise, actually made me focus on my daughter and the hubby. We just lounged in the bedroom and watched television the whole day. My two-year and a half old coo-some showed off her new English phrases she learned from the boob-tube, her constant companion apart from her yaya (The tragedy of working moms and single child families, sob,sob,sob). Anyway, this time she had us all to herself and the hubby and I delighted in her attempts at speaking English sans correct grammar, but what do you know, she could actually mouth four to five worded English sentences like, "Mama, are you ok?", "Let us go in the gawas?"(hehehe), "My tummy is hungry." Gosh, and she is not even going to school yet (Pardon the gushing mother, aren't we all always proud?). Good thing, as the hubby was already getting jealous of my laptop (hehe). Complained I was spending more time pounding away its keys than spending time with them. Guilty as charged. I do get carried away sometimes. Having a blog is really time-consuming, how much more having two! Yet, it is something that gives me a different kind of high. Its not just about writing anything that just comes to mind. It is seeing your words in the Net and knowing that others are reading what you have made. Its the "declined" and unsolicited articles senders' sweet revenge on the publishing world. They now have an alternative, and who knows, in the very near future, blogger's might even give them a run for their money.

You see, the Internet is the newest and soon, the biggest international marketplace. More deals are now being closed on the Net. Outsourcing and web-advertising is becoming the latest by-words in the world of business. Why do you think software giant Microsoft from out of the blue made an unsolicited offer of $40billion for Yahoo!? It didn't want to become obsolete in a fast-changing world that would very soon be driven by Internet economics.

But more than web and blogging dynamics, writing on-line on my very own site is simply something I love and its a passion I know I will continue to have. I just have to make sure family still comes first, though.

The Pasaway Landlord

Let me digress dear readers and allow me to violate my own rule of writing down here only everything waray. I'm going to take the advise of a dear doctor/psychiatrist in the States quoted in an article of the February 2008 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine Philippne edition. She said blog down your thoughts, angst and what-have-you to lessen your worries and anxieties...I can't recall the rest, but the gist was blogging your thoughts on an anonymous site helps a lot emotionally and psychologically. The quoted Dr. "Feel-Good" from the States suggested anonymous so you could be free to write down anything without worrying about libel and such. I still like to think that my true identity is still a mystery to most of evryone out there so I guess this applies.

So here I am writing down my thoughts on my landlord who gave me a a hell of a hard time when I decided to terminate my lease and transfer residences. I won't bore you with the details as to why I did so. Neither will i tell you why I chose not stay, I don't want to discourage any future lessees of hers (ooops!). But let me tell how my landlord took it and what she did next. I fully well know that I am allowed to consume my two months advance and declared my intentions to her. But, guess what she said? No,no,no, she said, I still got to pay another month's rent cause she was retaining my deposit for my electricity bill. As if I was moving to Timbuktu and she could not reach me by the time the bill came. But good-natured that I was, I came up with a win-win solution, I gave her a check equivalent to the latest month bill, postdated to the day we would be leaving. But the die was cast and an amiable lessor-lessee relationship was strained, at least on my part. HOw could she think I would not honor my obligations when in all the years I have lived in her house I was always on time in giving the rent? But that is only part of the story. What takes the cake is when the day to move came. We started taking out our things as early as two days before deadline, and left the house a day prior. We, however, left some super heavy stuff like the refrigerator that we would be picking up later as soon as we found storage space. Ms. Landlord however, was in a real hurry to get us out of the house pronto. On Saturday, when we still had a day left on our lease, she demanded the keys. I requested an extension up to Wednesday or exactly three days as we still was looking for a place to put the rest of our things as it could not fit yet where we had moved into. Well, for reasons known only to her (it couldn't have been for financial needs as she was more than loaded from remittances abroad of her hubby) she kept on texting me day in and day out to return the keys. At my tether's end, I agreed to give it to her, sublty adding in my message what could happen if anything occured in the house and our ref and other appliances we left there would be lost. Wonders of wonders, she fnally got it. She texted that she wanted us to get our things first before we returned the keys, no deadline mentioned. For crying out loud, we or our things have only been overstaying for exactly 48 hours!!! after our lease, fully paid for with no arrearages and the utilities paid for by check, expired. Grrrr. Its people like thes who ruin my day and increase my wrinkles. Oh, how I would love to mention her name or at least the office from where she works (there being no libelous item in this post, I checked it out) but nagingibabaw pa rin ang asal ng mama ko (my mother's moral upbringing still prevails) and much as I'm truly vexed, I have no desire to ruin a person's reputation no matter how much she has ruined my day. Well, what do you think? Should I or shouldn't I?

Caffeine Fix@the City

Jose Karlo Coffee Shop (Paterno St., right across Sto. Nino Church)

Looking for the perfect cup of cappuccino in the city? Long before Starbucks became a byword, Jose Karlo has been serving this brewing hot concoction to its regular patrons who dropped by not just for a caffeine fix but hang out for some "people-watching". A few years back it held the exclusive right to being, as my friend would term it, the place to "see and be seen" on the coffee scene.


Jose Karlo Coffee Shop


But now competing shops have sprouted taking away some of its "older" patrons. The teens and younger set has remained loyal though, and it is still the most popular hangout for students. Every now and then, a few yuppies (twentysomething with gainful employment) hang out and do "babe"-watching.

Its attraction to its patrons lie in its pricing scheme. Most items on the menu has remained affordable to students whose social life still live by mom and pop's weekly allowance. A cup of frappuccino can be had at Php60.00 and a slice of banana cake at Php25.00 the last time I looked. Another thing going for the place is its homey ambiance complete with sofa and living room sets in its second floor. Clearly, the owner has splurged in its decor as lovely paintings and colorful bric a brac's adorn its fake wooden walls. My friends and I sometimes meet here when we prefer a long and unhurried stay. We love to lounge on its cozy and soft sofas as we sip on cappuccinos and make "turab Luzon" all afternoon.

Bo's Coffee (Avenida Veteranos, right across DWU)

My only misgiving when this place first opened was its acquarium look. What do I mean by this? You could be seen by everyone passing by as the whole of its front is clear glass. In time it ceased to bother me and it soon became our favorite "tsikahan" haunt. The coffee shop is a franchise from Cebu City so more or less its items and prices are pre-determined by people other than the franchise owner. Which explains its steeper prices compared to its oldest competitor. THe lowest priced item on its beverage menu is Php90.00 per glass. The dessert tray items of pastries and slices of cakes ranges from Php50.00 to Php90.00. Most of its regular patrons are from the late twentysomething to thirtysomething crowd. Since Internet surfing is free, expect to see most people here crunching over their laptops.

Gloria Jeans Coffee (Avenida Veteranos cor. del Pilar St.)

Definitely the most expensive, this coffee shop with an international brand is slowly building up its customer base. Most med reps (detail me for pharmaceutical firms) hang out here and do their reports taking advantage of it Wi-fi coverage. I have only been here twice as I prefer staying at the other place. In terms of ambiance, it is similar to its closest neighboring coffee shop.

...So there you have it. A rundown of coffee shops in the city. But then a cup of coffee is a cup of coffee is a cup of coffee. What matters is you have the company of fine friends and good conversation. THe cappuccino? It can be had anywhere.

Banig

Just a few miles off the San Juanico Bridge is the small coastal town of Basey, Samar. Known for the Sohoton Caves, an eco-tourist destination, the town has also come to be associated with the colorful banig, woven mats made from "tikog", a reed plant that thrives in swampy areas. Banig making is a tradition of the womensfolk of Basey handed down from generation to generation. This unique art of mat-weaving traces its roots from as far back as the Spanish colonial period. Used mainly as floor mats it has gone beyond being utilitarian to evolve into pieces of art and materials for local handicrafts. The most complicated and intricate of designs has found its way into homes as decorative wall decors. Bags, wine holders, placemats, sandals, to name a few are signs of a thriving banig industry.


Wine holders made from banig (photo courtesy of OTOP)

The beginning of your banig starts with the gathering of the "tikog". These are dried and then cut into strips which the paraglaras, term coined for the women weavers, then weaves into


Banigs for sale at the Pasalubong Center

the finished product. To make more colorful designs, the tikog strips are also dyed before being interlaced and made into the banig. The more skilled the weaver, the more complicated the design.

Here are pictures of banig products taken from the Pasalubong Center (found at the Tacloban airport) and from an art exhibit during the recent Tacloban fiesta.


Banigs on exhibit

(some informational tidbits sources from Ven Labro's article in the January issue of Phil. Daily Inquirer)

Calicoan Island, Surfers' Paradise

Infinity pool at Surf Camp

I know I have been promising travel posts for this blog but I have been kept busy by work and domestic concerns. My travel has been limited to the office, downtown and the grocery, nothing beyond a 5 mile radius. Fortunately for me the memory of the road trip I took two months ago with my friends is still fresh in my mind. Add to the good fortune are the pictures graciously lent to me by my good friend, Pedro Bimbo Tan of OTOP DTI.


The Surf Camp, steps leading to the ocean

We went to Calico-an as a side trip to a more spiritual destination. You had to pass by the island on your way to Suluan, a pilgrim site famous in the region. The trip took a good three hours which we hardly felt as the road was smooth and fully asphalted. On the way we were treated to a beautiful view of Eastern Samar's


The Surf Camp

coastline. We reached Calico-an and quickly stopped by a resto-resort which had the Pacific Ocean as as its front neighbor. Its roaring waves is perfect for surfing but not for the weak-hearted like me whose swimming know-how never went beyond the dog-paddling stage. So I contented myself just savoring in the breeze and taking pictures of the Pacific Ocean. I wish I could add it to this post but the CD where I stored them is lost somewhere. But not to fret, Mr. Tan's pictures is more than adequate to give you a glimpse into the beauty of the island.

A trip to Calico-an is certainly worth your while as not only do you get breathtaking views of the ocean but you also get a taste of the abundant and fresh seafood bounty of Guiuan as we did when we went into one of the restauraunts in the island. We ordered sinigang na tangingue perfect as the fish was just hours from being picked from the sea. The same was true for the kinilaw. But what makes the island stand out is the white sand of its beach fronts. It is soft and powdery comparable to the beaches of Boracay. Slowly, tourist arrivals are increasing in numbers bringing much needed income to the province. Indeed, the island is coming into its own as a tourist destination.

For awesome pictures of Calicoan, check out the site of a professional which I came upon while did I some different kind of surfing (this time no waves, just the Internet). Just browse around in his galleries and look for "The Surf Camp at Calicoan Island".

Millenium Raw Fish-Kinilaw from NZ

Hey, I got a reply from Mr. N. Remember, he's the guy from new Zealand who told me about a different kinilaw? As requested, he truly was kind enough to share with us a recipe from the Maoris (people native to New Zealand) which is quite similar to our kinilaw or kilawin. For the foodies out there, here is the recipe lifted from the nccuis.ifrance website.:

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh lime juicea handful chopped corriander leaves

6 red chillis (or more if u like more heat)

salt/pepper 2 taste

6-8 fish fillets (snapper is beautiful)

1/2 kg fresh N.Z mussels (medium size)

1/2 kg fresh N.Z pipis

1-2 tins Coconut milk (samoan coconut milk is superior for this recipe)

1 bunch spring onions (topped,tailed & chopped finely)

1 large spanish onion (chopped in thin rings)

4-6 Roma tomatoes (Roma is more tasty)

4-6 medium Yellow capsicum (Yellow seems to be sweeter than red or green capsicum, use a combo of all 3 for better effect & accelerated flavour) - for the rest of the recipe, visit www.nccuis.ifrance.com

Kinilaw from New Zealand

I got a word from a college friend who had already migrated with his family to the land of native Maoris, yes that's New Zealand. He read my post on kinilaw (see July archives, Bartolo's Kinilaw) and he told me that there is actually a version of the dish in NZ. Unlike, Bartolo's, their's does not have coconut milk added to it. So, that means kinilaw is actually international fare. The common denominator is the vinegar. Figures, as its fermenting action does all the "cooking". We hope that he could share with us some of the Maori's food. If he does, your sure that it will appear on this blog. Mr. N. hope your reading and respond soon.

The Giant of Sulu-an

Proud to be Waray's Foreword:

I asked and was given a copy of a poem composed by a good friend of mine. He has a lifelong passion for the history and culture of his native town, Guiuan, which is part of Eastern Samar. Listening to him one cannot but deduce that here at last is someone who truly values his country's past, its culture and its heritage. He has a wide collection of books that delve on Samar's rich historical past including a book on old houses complete with pictures and floor plans.

This poem, "Makandog" was actually made for the literary contest sponsored by the Samarenos of Northern California. It did not however, push through for one reason or another. But the organization's loss is Waray literature's gain as "Makandog" is truly a piece worth its publication.

As stated by Mr. Garado, "If the Ilocanos have Bi-ag ni Lam-ang, the Bicolanos have Ibalon, the Maranaos the Indarapata at Sulayman, and the Tagalogs have Bernardo Carpio, the Warays have their Makandog." Yes, indeed, the Warays are not lacking in rich myhological lore only that perhaps we need more of the likes of Elmer to bring them forth from the dustbins of obscurity.

Makandog

by Elmer Garado

Kabugtu-an kadi anay, pamati madali-ay;

Unin akon susumaton nga ha iyo igsasalaysay;

Diri duro hin halaba, diri liwat haliputay;

Kundi tugob hin pag-aramdam, sadang niyo ikalipay.

Hadto una nga panahon, han bata pa an kalibutan;
May naukoy na higante ha Isla han Suluan;
Makandog an iya ngaran, maisog kundi buotan;
Darangpan han tinalumpigos, sangkay han ngatanan;

Han iya panahon, hura ^an Samar hin pagkaon;
Isda ha kadagatan mag-anad, din a kinahanglan pukuton;
Hiya in may sugo han ngatanan nga Samarnon:
An gugti nga isda diri pagdakpon, an mga pughaan buhi-on.

Puno’an kagurangan hin magrampag nga kahoy;
Natambak an prutas nga duyag nira iday ug otoy;
Mataghum nga huyop han hangin tambal han kakapuy;
Nga dinuduyugan han huni han pikoy.

Magtambok an kalubi-an nga naturok ha katunaan;
Magtuba^an lubi mga mga sanggutan;
Sanglit balato an kan Makandog ginagamit nga lakub;
Kay an yano nga lakub diri man mailob.

Para padamuon an mga kalubi-an;
Ini in ginkakagud ngan ginsasaburak ha Suluan;
Upod an Guiuan ug bug-os nga papurud-an;
An pagpulod ni lubi, diri niya tinutugutan.

An sanggutan ni Makandog ginpulod hin kalit;
Han iya asawa, dipang an ginamit;
Hinungdan han iya duro nga kabigit;
Han bug-os nga adlaw hiya aringit.

Bato ha Suluan, iya binundukan;
Dara han kakusog, ini linutupan;
Tigaman han iya gugma han kakahuyan;
Ngan labi na gud han iya sanggutan.

May usa nga parag-uma mga may-ada pamilya;
Gintalumpigos, inagawan han gin-uumahan niya;
Nag-isog hi Makandog, kinadto an nangagaw;
Pinanlup-an ngan ilinabog, ug ha dagat nagtagipsaw.

Ini in pahimatngon para han ngatatanan;
Diri magraug-daug han iya kabugtu-an;
Ngan an hin-o man nga hini di magtuman;
Kan Makandog hiya, piho sisirutan.

May-ada liwat usa nga parapangisda;
Usa ka adlaw tigda la an iya balato nawara;
Kinuha hin mga tawo nga an kamot magliya;
Ha iya pagpakabuhi, tinatapuran ini la.

Nahibaro hi Makandog ug hiya in nag-isog;
Ha kairisgon sinikaran, bukid ha Buro-buro ug Domrog;
Ginbiling an mga kawatan, ug mga tudlo pinamutulan;
Para din a maglabot han butang hin-o man.

An magluya ug dinaug-daog in iya mga pinaura;
An magraut ug magtalumpigos, mga kaaway niya;
An may utang magbabayad, an may kulang magdudugang;
An ngatan papreho ma-kablas ka man o ma-rico.

An bug-os nga Samar mamingawon han panahon ni Makandog;
An ngatanan in nahadlok nga hiya mag-isog;
An guli-at niya ha Guiuan, binabati ha Casuguran;
Mga bukid nagtitimpag kun ini iya masikaran.

Mga kahoy ha kabukiran, mga isda ha kadagatan;
Ini hira ngatanan in iya mga inataman;
Mga tawo iya tinugon, ayaw pag-uyas an kagurangan;
Kay kita ngahaw an kairo han aton mga binuhatan.

Hi Makandog in higabte nga duro kamakusog;
Ngan diri liwat ngakukulang han pagkamaisog;
Sanglit han Samar pagsakop, waray gud nailob;
Nahadlok hank an Makandog kairisgon nga sumukob.

Hiya in pinuno hga waray pinuray;
An iya pagdara han tawo maupay;
Sanglit an katawhan duro an kalipay;
Kay hiya matadong, tuptup nga tiunay.

Inin kan Makandog mga binuhatan;
Dayuday magamot ha at panumduman;
Sugad hadton lutop di’t ha Binundukan;
Diri mapapara, diri mapupukan.

(All rights reserved. Copyright protected by intellectual and infringement laws. No reproduction, publication in whole or in part may be made without the author's consent)

Traffic Lights, atbp.

I just made a drive around the city, looking for things new, a pinch to myself and notice to the world that Tacloban is inertia on the run, that stimuli, in the form of economic and political forces, is bringing growth and welcome changes.

First stop is literally that, a traffic stop, as the much-awaited traffic lights are now up and operational in major intersections of the city. For sometime now people had been wondering whether the derailed project would ever be finished as the metal posts stood incomplete without its red, green and yellow lights in the city streets, that is until about two weeks ago. After a delay of almost six years and with all legal kinks ironed out, motorists will now be greeted at the intersections of Real St. and Avenida Veteranos; Real and Independencia Sts.; and J. Romualdez and del Pilar Sts. by these tri-colored computerized director of traffic and pedestrian flow. It has since ensured the smooth stream of traffic with pedestrians and motorists alike most cooperative. I like this a lot, the hubby commenting that now errant drivers no longer rule the streets. After all, who could argue with a red light?


Traffic lights on intersection of Paterno and Justice Sts.

But that is not the only sign of progress for this Waray capital of Eastern Visayas. Just by the outskirts of the city, in Brgy. Marasbaras, men are working round the clock to meet a December deadline in finishing the first ever, true blue and honest to goodness mall in the city. Yes, folks, Robinsons Corp. of the Gokongweis has decided to include the city in its expansion plans and have placed their money where there mouth is by building the gargantuan Robinson’s Mall of Tacloban City. Reports has it that the two-story structure includes a food square, a grocery, stores for tenants and one or two (or is it three?) movie theaters (yippeeee!). The latter is what I’m eagerly awaiting for: fully air-conditioned and as clean as its counterparts in Manila. Now I truly have a place to go to watch all those favorite movies of mine without the usual unwanted companions, the sudlot (bed bugs). If we go by the December timetable, then there’s also the possibility that we will be able to watch the latest of the Harry Potter series which is set for a November playdate this year (Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince) in air-conditioned comfort of the mall!!!.

And what would be better after watching your favorite movie than dropping by the Tacloban City Convention Center to have your pick from a score of dining establishments encircling the auditorium? You have a choice of burgers from “Porbida”; pizza and pasta from “Canto Fresco” and an array of Filipino dishes from “Ramos” place to name just a few. Slowly Taclobanons have discovered this fine dining row judging from the rows of cars lining its parking lots at night. No, smooching inside the cars is not allowed.

Color me black, color me brown, color me pink

We all hope for an ideal world, one where prejudice and discrimination are but vestiges of a bygone era and colors are but wonderful creation of nature and not a label for the tint of your skin. But, as Tom Hanks would say in the movie “Philadelphia”, which tackled discrimination against HIV-afflicted gays, “we don’t live in that world”.

Discrimination and prejudice is a reality that has been there since the dawn of civilization only it came by in other names. It was considered normal and acceptable behavior, that is until men realized its deathly and disastrous results. The history of man has borne witness to the bloody consequences of individuals who have imposed their prejudiced views on many. The Holocaust. Genocide in Rwanda. Ethnic cleansing in the Serbian conflict. Apartheid. Bloody suppression of the natives by colonizers. There where the belief of being above other fellow men, has bred this twin scourge. So many have died whose only sin was to have been born of the wrong color or of having professed a different faith.

But not all forms of discrimination can be as extreme as the blights in human history. It may come in the most subtle of manner. There is the timeless great divide between rich and poor, of the intellectual snobbishness of the educated and the belief of superiority of race. It may also come in the dogmatic view of the existence of only two genders and any sexual orientation different from the physical self an aberration. So many of us shudder and make the sign of the cross after hearing such senseless deaths all victims of discrimination, yet haven’t we been guilty of practicing such in our own different ways. We are guilty when we treat our own hired help like lesser beings; we are guilty when we deny enrolment to children of unwed mothers flaunting moral high ground as a reason for acting so; we are guilty when we laugh at the “monkey” English of our fellow Filipinos, false pride of our American accents and diction; we are guilty when we judge a person’s worth based on her appearance without bothering to know them better; we are guilty when we refuse admittance to gays and transsexuals because they allegedly tarnish our establishment’s image; we are guilty when we mock the mentally ill instead of affording them the care and understanding that they sorely need. The list goes on and on and on. Harmless they may seem at first but we should not forget, out of the seeds of hatred and prejudice have sprung demagogues who have called for cleansing of people not of their kind. Where this cleansing is not of the hygienic kind but the Final solution, death and wiping out of an entire race.

Have we learned the lessons of history? Have we become more kind, understanding and tolerant of our differences? The answer to that lies in a close examination of our hearts, for therein lies the answer as well. Shame can only make us bow our heads but it does not bring about a real change. But a true change of heart is what makes us accept, that the world indeed is full of men of different shades. But yet they are no different from you and me and that we are all beautiful creatures of God, that we all deserve the same place under the sun.

Dominoes in the face of "Frank's" fury

After the rain and the winds


Twisted metal that was the Ampitheater

What you are about to see is the aftermath of the battle between Mother Nature and man's attempt at semi-immortality. As always, the latter comes out always the vanquished and never the wiser. Heavy stuff, huh? No, its nothing monumental, its just the Balyu-an Amphitheater in the city falling like a pile of dominoes after Typhoon "Frank" battered across town leaving destruction in its wake. Fortuitous event it was and finger-pointing would not bring the "dominoes" back to its standing position. It would be better if everyone instead came together to help Mayor Alfred in making it serviceable once more.


Balyu-an Ampitheater after Typhoon "Frank"

Indeed, trust the Pinoy's ability to make the most of a bad situation as despite its present state, the city government managed to make minor repairs making it good enough for the venue of the recent Sangyaw Festival.

I dub it the "Leaning Towers" of Balyu-an. And maybe just like its counterpart in Pisa, Italy, it might just become a tourist attraction. (photos courtesy of M.A.)