Less than three hours more and the first day of 2008 dawns.
But before the year 2007 ends, I can't miss the chance of reminiscing how this exciting year has been.
During the 525,600 minutes that passed, many things happened. I got a job, met long-lost friends and new people, got a job, bought new clothes, traveled overseas, dreamed of new ambitions, climbed mountains, opened this multiply account, blah blah blah. The list goes on (and I don't want to appear too personal in this blog).
Time is terrific. No doubt Einstein was so into it. I tried studying his theory of relativity during my days in the university. It was totally surreal, but very sensible and brilliant. I'm now reading another book of Alan Lightman that talks about Einstein's obsession about time. Einstein's Dreams is a novel that tells of how the Nobel laureate conceptualized time and how he saw it in his dreams. It's fiction of course, but Lightman's knack for prose and poetry made the book at par with the genius's real thoughts. Surreal, but fascinating.
And now comes 2008. An interesting year for everyone: the US Presidential Election, The World Youth Day in Sydney, The Olympics in Beijing. And I am pretty sure more surprises will pop out as we go along the new year.
To everyone, have a blessed new year.
Cheers!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Finding Neverland
Think of happy thoughts, and you will fly!
Neverland. The land where children never grow older. The place I tried to find amongst the stars in a moon-lit night when I was younger.
Everytime I visit my hometown, I think of how my childhood went, and how I missed being a child. Every corner of my old house bears a memory that still lingers clearly in my mind. There was that wall with my first ABCDs, that small table I used for studying, those stairs I have stepped on since I learned how to walk, that sink which now have become very low for me, and that farm where I spent my best summer days.
I came home before Christmas to visit my parents and relatives. It's overwhelming how many things have changed in a matter of two years. People got older, and new faces in the family arrived. I too am not getting any younger - I'm turning 22 this week!
I thought Neverland is somewhere up above the sky, never to be seen. But I found it! I only have to think of happy thoughts - good memories - to bring me to my own Neverland.
Neverland. The land where children never grow older. The place I tried to find amongst the stars in a moon-lit night when I was younger.
Everytime I visit my hometown, I think of how my childhood went, and how I missed being a child. Every corner of my old house bears a memory that still lingers clearly in my mind. There was that wall with my first ABCDs, that small table I used for studying, those stairs I have stepped on since I learned how to walk, that sink which now have become very low for me, and that farm where I spent my best summer days.
I came home before Christmas to visit my parents and relatives. It's overwhelming how many things have changed in a matter of two years. People got older, and new faces in the family arrived. I too am not getting any younger - I'm turning 22 this week!
I thought Neverland is somewhere up above the sky, never to be seen. But I found it! I only have to think of happy thoughts - good memories - to bring me to my own Neverland.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
the plight of philippine tourism
These days, tourism ads of Thailand and Malaysia are read in most major business magazines around like The Economist, Time, and Fortune. While these places are good vacation destinations, I am definitely sure that they pale in comparison to what the Philippines can offer.
I have met foreigners saying that the archipelago has better beaches and more exhilirating dive spots than its neighbors. Why not, when we are at the center of the famed Coral Triangle. Our festivals are definitely as colorful as our neighbors', our malls are among the best and the biggest in the world, and our people are definitely the warmest in Asia.
And why does the Philippines remain travelers' third choice (or even lower) among the ASEAN countries? Sadly, bad news, either political or security-related, always hover over the archipelago, repelling would-be visitors (including investors) and creating a negative impression to the entire world. Also, this plight is exacerbated by poor infrastructure, a lackadaisical tourism campaign, and underdeveloped tourism destinations. I am pretty sure there's more to the Philippines than Boracay.
I have met foreigners saying that the archipelago has better beaches and more exhilirating dive spots than its neighbors. Why not, when we are at the center of the famed Coral Triangle. Our festivals are definitely as colorful as our neighbors', our malls are among the best and the biggest in the world, and our people are definitely the warmest in Asia.
And why does the Philippines remain travelers' third choice (or even lower) among the ASEAN countries? Sadly, bad news, either political or security-related, always hover over the archipelago, repelling would-be visitors (including investors) and creating a negative impression to the entire world. Also, this plight is exacerbated by poor infrastructure, a lackadaisical tourism campaign, and underdeveloped tourism destinations. I am pretty sure there's more to the Philippines than Boracay.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Merry Christmas!
I started being a volunteer tutor for kids in a public school when I was a sophomore in the university. It was no ordinary goody-goody task that went like a walk in the park. It was a big commitment - more like a walk in the most unlikely places in the city. Sometimes I would really have to miss hanging out with friends on a Saturday afternoon, or sacrifice some hours of study just to be with the rowdy kids waiting for their kuya to teach them Math and English. And up to now, during weekends, I still find time for these little angels. It's truly tiresome, but all worthwhile.
This is my eye-opener to a world so divided between extremes. As Christmas is just around the corner, I hear my friends talking about how excited they are for shopping, or how eager they are for their party in a five-star hotel, or where their families are spending Christmas eve. But when I go to the slum areas I see kids running around without slippers asking me if my house was also demolished as theirs, I see families living in shanties uncertain of what to eat for their next meal, I see people living in dehumanizing poverty.
It's not my intention to accuse the well-off of moral indifference and blatant selfishness, nor to sound utterly cynical. I only wanted to express how I see society is so full of contradiction. In so many times, how I want to be insensitive so as not to feel distressed. But reality hurts, it slaps me in the face.
---------------
When I was young, how I loved Christmas. Aside from the sound of ubiquitous carols that never failed to lighten my feelings, there are also a lot of food (it's fattening season), rare family reunions, and, between Christmas and New year, is my birthday.
Christmas is truly fun, but there's more to it than this. Each one should not forget why gifts are given, why there a star atop the Christmas tree, why we wake up early and attend misa de gallo (gallo is Spanish for rooster), why we celebrate Christmas at the first place. Besides gifts, food, and fun, Christmas is Christ's birth.
It's sad though how people tend to forget or care much less about this. While the greeting "Happy Holidays" has become a convention, I still prefer the old way that goes "Merry Christmas (and not X-mas)".
Merry Christmas to all!
This is my eye-opener to a world so divided between extremes. As Christmas is just around the corner, I hear my friends talking about how excited they are for shopping, or how eager they are for their party in a five-star hotel, or where their families are spending Christmas eve. But when I go to the slum areas I see kids running around without slippers asking me if my house was also demolished as theirs, I see families living in shanties uncertain of what to eat for their next meal, I see people living in dehumanizing poverty.
It's not my intention to accuse the well-off of moral indifference and blatant selfishness, nor to sound utterly cynical. I only wanted to express how I see society is so full of contradiction. In so many times, how I want to be insensitive so as not to feel distressed. But reality hurts, it slaps me in the face.
---------------
When I was young, how I loved Christmas. Aside from the sound of ubiquitous carols that never failed to lighten my feelings, there are also a lot of food (it's fattening season), rare family reunions, and, between Christmas and New year, is my birthday.
Christmas is truly fun, but there's more to it than this. Each one should not forget why gifts are given, why there a star atop the Christmas tree, why we wake up early and attend misa de gallo (gallo is Spanish for rooster), why we celebrate Christmas at the first place. Besides gifts, food, and fun, Christmas is Christ's birth.
It's sad though how people tend to forget or care much less about this. While the greeting "Happy Holidays" has become a convention, I still prefer the old way that goes "Merry Christmas (and not X-mas)".
Merry Christmas to all!
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