from now on call it: The Ampatuan Massacre, let us not tarnish Maguindanao's beauty and name.

Thank you sa lahat ng nakaalala at bumati sakin :) Cheers!

A Backpack Filled With Hope

Rah can not wait. Rah wants to know how high he can go. He wants to know his limits.

Rah will bring a backpack filled with hope that he will reach the peak of Mt. Pulag.

On the fifth of December, Rah and Ayhve together with a team will climb the highest mountain in Luzon.

Rah will bring his camping gear - tent, sleeping bag, trekking shoes, and a camp-stove.

Rah will celebrate his birthday there. He will bring  cake and wine to be shared with the expedition.

Up there, Rah will offer a silent prayer the gods who have been there since the beginning of time.

I can't wait to climb Mt. Pulag.

Challanges

A lot of people are afraid of challenges. But it is only through challenges that we can make a better self.

Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths. -- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind.  -- Darwin P. Kingsley

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are." Bernice Johnson Reagon

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche

"“Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges.”" Carlos Castaneda

"Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity." Stephen R. Covey

"The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead." Bette Davis

"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself." Muhammad Ali

Extraordinary individuals take one step back and two steps forward with most every challenge—and sometimes two steps back to one step forward. They harvest useful lessons and knowledge from what doesn’t work, and they display a remarkable resiliency; and ability to bounce back from adversity - j. porras

YouTube - happy birthday avril 2009

Doublespeak

Doublespeak is a term that describes how people present options that end up in a NO OPTION SITUATION at all.

While a "dilemma" is a problem offering at least two solutions of which none are practically acceptable,  "doublespeak" on the other hand, justifies a situation by offering distorted meanings of a status.

This sort of doublespeak is found on a lot of ideologies. Sometimes, it even comes out as forms of euphemisms that results to ambiguity and communication bypass.

There are countless of examples. My favorites are:  "Informal Settlers" to mean squatters; "pre-owned" to mean second hand; "Gaming" to mean gambling;  "preventive maintenance" to mean busted.

"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.  ETC.

Like Big Brother (pinoy big brother sucks, but I watch it nevertheless to find out the next ridiculous thing he and the housemates will do), I also frown upon doublespeak.

The original concept of a Big Brother is from George Orwell's novel - Nineteen Eighty-Four. Big Brother is the founder of a new  world order calling itself "The Party." He watches every inhabitant through the "telescreen".

To facilitate his totalitarian regime, he developed a new system of language called "Newspeak." It is a kind of language that makes opposition to the Party impossible by removing any words or possible constructs which describe the ideas of freedom, rebellion,  opposition and so on.

Newspeak is the only form of language that does not expand but instead, contracts. Big Brother punishes inhabitants of "thought-crime" whenever someone tries to distort the words to advance their "anti-Party" intent.

While I do not subscribe to the totalitarian ideologies of Big Brother, maybe like him, people should also be critical when presented with a doublespeak.

We want clarity in our options. If not, we will probably be spending the better parts of our lives living the dreams and ideas of others.

On Heroes

We all need heroes.

Unfortunately, when I tell people about my hero, they laugh. They roll their eyes when I show them the little collection of his stamps I purchased in an auction in Recto. They cannot believe their eyes when they see that my facebook profile is actually my hero's picture. They cannot believe their ears when I tell my story of checking his site everyday for an update of his latest blog entitled "Kumbinasyon." People ask me 'what is the deal' with my collection of his fights in DVD purchased from the black market. Because I know everything about my hero, they either think I am baduy or worse, I am sort of bading - I am not.

We all need heroes. 

Heroes are our sources of motivation. They are only people too, like we are. What makes them different though are the great levels of motivation they have accomplished. It is the greatest of skill and talent they have mastered. It is the sense of discipline unfazed and unparalleled. It is about the success they have accomplished.

We all need heroes. 

For people who are hopeless, heroes are symbols of hope. For those who are weak, heroes are sources of strength. For those who are living in the dark - heroes shed light. For those who are lost, heroes are like compass that guide us to the way.  

Life is short, but God is good.

Bohol Pics

Panlao, Tarsiers, Chocol8 Hills, butterfly house

A Day I Went Jogging

I woke up at around 6 a.m. I want to jog. I do not know exactly where my feet will take me.

Next month I am planning to go on a long hike up north, so I thought this was a good chance to keep me fit.

Last night, I did one hour of treadmill but it was so boring so I figured out that this day, I will go out the streets for a real jog. This is a story of this morning's jog.












I put on my favorite black shoes.














I prepare my things, and extra shirt, towel and a jug of water.


















I hit the roads, warming up, trying to do some walking at first.
















Off to Katipunan




















Cat killed in action. Roadkill.


















A view of Marikina from Katipunan.


















Stopover to a church to say morning prayers.
















Footbridge in Katipunan
















Lost flowers in Katipunan.





















I will not eat here.

























To my destination.










I enter nonetheless.


















I am observing the observatory.

























Nostalgic moments. I walked this pavement almost everyday for 4 years back in college.











The good mother that adopted me. I miss you mom.














The garden that sinks.



















l am just trying to rest for a while in this tree.

















Pangs of hunger. I have something in mind...

















Perfect.














I never thought it could be done. But I did it.
 

My Island Vacation

When someone gives you free tickets to go to Bohol and Cebu all expenses paid, grab it.

That is what I did when my mum handed me Cebu Pacific plane tickets last week. Her motive is still a mystery to me, but I have to say I really enjoyed the whole trip.

Panglao Island is my destination. It is thirty minutes from the city of Tagbilaran and known for its fine beaches, great food, and world class dive sites.

I stayed at the famous Dumaluan Beach Resort. Considering I stayed at the island for four days, it is really a pocket friendly place.

Do not expect it to be a grand hotel, though. It does not offer 2 or 3 star accommodation, but for a 1,300 Php a night, the room is very clean, spacious, and comfortable. The room is air conditioned, minus the ref and TV, but considering its location and beach site, it deserves a salute.

Notice that the sand is so white. Is not really sand. They say it forms out of eroded corals. It is almost like powder.

The beach is shallow. From the water's edge, you can walk a couple of meters and still the the water is no deeper that your waist. But look under water with a pair of goggles or snorkeling set and you will see a community marine fish, live corals and a variety of starfish. I have never seen a beach as impressive.

I like the way the sun shines in that beach, it is not that hot. The rays of the sun are friendly.

I felt so relaxed just lying down in my chair with an IPod.