Transaksyon

Isang malakas na sirena ang umalingawngaw sa buong provincial capitol compound ng Quezon. Ganap na ika-lima na ng hapon. Dali-daling nagpulasang parang mga langgam ang mga empleyado, baktot ang kani-kanilang mga personal na gamit—body bag, shoulder bag, dalang pinamalengke, at mga dalang panindang installment ang bayaran palabas ng kanilang lungga na animo’y napupuno ng tubig. Kanina pang naghihintay at balais ang bawat isa sa pagdating ng oras na pinakahihintay—ang oras ng labasan.

Sumakay ako ng jeep na byaheng SITE patungong SM City Lucena kung saan naghihintay ang aking maybahay. Naupo ako sa kanang bahagi ng jip sa bandang dulo malapit sa pintuan nito. Kakaunti lamang ang lulan ng nasabing jeep. Sa bandang kanan ako naupo, katabi ang isang medyo may edad na babae na may dalang malaking payong at pamalengkeng bag at isang mama ang kasunod habang sa bandang kaliwa nakaupo ay isang binata at ang mamang driver lamang sa unahan. Nang may di kalayuang nakakausad ang jeep, pumara ang babaeng aking katabi na di kailang siya ay mamamalengke. Muling umusad ang jip sa kahabaan ng daang palengke. Mabagal ang pag-usad nito sapagkat matindi ang traffic dito kapag hapon lalo na kung alas-singko na dahil karamihan ng manggagawa mula sa publiko at pribadong sector ay uwian na pati na rin ang mga estudyante nagsisiuwian mula sa kani-kanilang paaralan.

Tahimik ang buong jeep. Ang tanging naririnig ko lamang ay ang makina nito at ingay na nagmumula sa labas ng jeep—ang ingay ng buong palengke at mga sasakyan. Katapat ng isang mama sa upuan ang binatang nakaporma ng short sleeved checkered na polong navy blue, khaking cargo shorts na hanggang tuhod, at asul na tsinelas na islander. Maputi ang binata, may kagwapuhan at may kulay ang buhok. May hawak siyang pulang cellphone na Nokia 2100. Maya’t maya ang tingin ng binata sa kanyang cellphone at panakanaka’y susulyap sa mamang katapat na tila may nais sabihin. Di ko mawari kung sila ay magkasamang sumakay sapagkat nauna sila sa jeep kaysa sa akin.

Patuloy sa pag-usad ang jip at panakanaka’y tumatapak ang tsuper sa kanyang preno sa kadahilanang may kasikipan ang daang palengke. Di mapakali ang binata sa kanyang kinauupuan. Patuloy sa pagpindot ng kanyang cellphone at pagsulyap sa mamang katapat. Ang mama ay medyo may edad na rin. Maskulado ang pangangatawan at may kulay ang buhok na medyo manipis na. Mukhang militar. Nakasuot ng dark blue na muscle shirt, dark blue shorts at tsinelas na blue. Natawag ko tuloy sya sa aking isipan na “Mamang Blue”. Napansin ng mama ang pagsulyap ng binata. Nagtama ang kanilang mga tingin. Tila nangungusap ang kanilang mga mata. Batid ko sa kanilang mga kilos na napabatid nila ang kanilang mga nasa isipan. Kinakabahan ako. Di ko maipaliwanag. Ang mama ay mukhang militar dahil sa anyo at kilos nito. Ang binata nman ay mukhang may kapilyuhan. Alisto ako sa mga mangyayari kung sakaling may di kanais-nais na magaganap sa loob ng jeep. Lumingon sa bandang kaliwa niya ang mama patungo sa direksyon ng aking kinauupuan. Mabalasik ang titig. Lalong tumindi ang kabog ng aking dibdib. Hinanda ko ang aking sarili sa ano mang mangyayari.

Patuloy pa rin sa pag-usad ang jeep. Kumilos ang mama. May kinapa sa kanang bahagi ng kanyang katawan gamit ang kanang kamay. Kinabahan ulit ako. Napawi ang aking nerbiyos ng makita kong hawak niya ang isang pulang nokia 7610 cellphone. May nagtext! Nawala ang katahimikan at tension sa loob ng jeep ng biglang umusal sa bibig ng binata ang mga salitang “saan ka pupunta?”. Napawi ang kaba ko. Magkakilala pala ang dalawa. Nagsalita ulit ang lalaki. “Ano nga ang number mo?”. Kaagad na inabot ng binata ang kanyang cellphone sa mama upang ilagay ang mobile number nito. Pinindot ng mama ang mga number sa keypad ng cellphone ng binata. “Ano nga name mo?” usal ng binata sabay abot ng cellphone mula sa matanda. Nagulat ako. Mali pala ang aking akala. Hindi magkakilala ang dalawa. Sumagot ang mama sa tanong ng binata “Gary! Call me Mama Gary”. Lumaki at namilog ang aking mga mata sa aking narinig. Tinitigan ko ang mama at napansin ko ang mahabang payong at ang beauty kit sa kanyang tabi. Lingid sa aking kaalaman ay isang transaksyon pala ang nagaganap sa loob ng jeep. Ang lalaki ay isang “call boy” at ang mama ay isa palang “mama sang”. Nakita ko ang pinto ng SM at pumara ako sabay baba ng jeep sinasakyan. Nakarating na pala ako sa aking pupuntahan ng di namamalayan.

 

 

Lost in a Battlefield

It is really much difficult to stay in a bloody battlefield. Since everything is in chaos, you would not be able to recognize who your friends and your foes are. You would not really know if the one wearing your shield and armor is really your kind. You would not even believe that the one wearing your mask is your adversary. Even the closest and truest of your kin would be the one to sell your honor to the other side.

Life is our own bloody battlefield. You are your only ally in the ground. You are the only one who you could trust the most. Without knowing yourself, primarily would make you such a great deal of a loser in the combat zone. Without equipping yourself with a strongest of heart and a sharpest of mind would mean entrapping yourself to the blades of your opponent’s sword which thirsts for your own flesh and blood like the fangs of the starving lions waiting for their time to feast on.

Warriors in combat showcase all of their skills and agility coupled with their unmatched physique. Like the Spartans, you should stand firm and defend your own honor and dignity. Even if you are already on the losing end, you should never give up to your rival’s dominion. Never surrender. Like them, you should fight and defend your honor to your last breath. For if you don’t, you will never find your way out of that battlefield where you are in and never see victory! Ever again!

 

5J143

Saturday, 9:00 a.m., October 22, 2007. Pain struck our ears. Deafening pressure was forcefully penetrating our ear drums. Air packets are coming our way. It shook the vessel as if it would tear it into pieces. Two hours later, the plane landed at Hongkong Chek Lap Kok International Airport.

I was amazed with how Hongkong is. Advanced technology. State-of-the-art! That I must say. Every man, woman and children is adept with the fast-paced technology that has brought convenience to everybody. Every citizen is a busy bee. They are busy robots designed to make their life even more convenient. Walking fast, even running faster to catch the MTR or the Metro Transit Railways to reach their point of destination. It seems that no one is riding the bus or even the cab, well except for the tourists like us of course. While riding the speeding MTR, people are so busy with their whereabouts. People busy talking on the phone. People operating their latest gadgets. Teenagers and lovers busy making out while sitting or standing. I was in a culture shock. An Asian country with culture like this? With economy like this? I asked myself. Is being liberal goes with progress? Can a country be so progressive while preserving its culture and values at the same time? These questions made me reckoned that Philippines can attain such kind of development without sacrificing its culture and values. At first, I thought I just want my recent life in the Philippines where I can sit around a lazy afternoon and relax, watch a good movie or even enjoy a sumptuous dinner with friends. But on second thought, I could also enjoy the finest of things while living life like a busy robot, why not?

Recalling before I left for this trip, people in Sacred Heart College are busy doing their tasks preparing for the Mission Audit last November 5-7, 2007 (which I have to congratulate everybody for its success). People were aligning their individual/departmental/institutional activities to the SHC Thrusts for 2006-2010. The Thrusts tagged as TEAM or The Eradication of Extreme Hunger and Poverty, Ensure Environmental Sustainability, Access to Primary Education, and Ministry to Families of Migrants and Persons Living with HIV/Aids would help make this nation a progressive one. Maybe even far more progressive than Hongkong. All I think is that we need to have patience, cooperation and discipline. I have seen how the people of Hongkong showcased these traits. Their daily brisk walks and long travels would show their patience. I can see their being disciplined and cooperative in their daily endeavor. They carefully follow instructions and guidelines as the voice-over in every shows and every place speaks. They have to prioritize and give way to the kids and the elders in which this country do not. They fall in line like the ants that is going their way. They have special lane or walks for the blind in which at first I was very curious about. I asked myself, “what are these specially designed embossed tiles for?” Then one morning I happen to see a blind girl walking along on those tracks. Alone, I can see her as she felt safely walking the subways, ride the elevators, escalators and the MTR which made me realized that a progressive nation can also be the safest place to live. I hope everyone would emulate the efforts of other nations in order to achieve the progress and development that they are enjoying for so many years. Why not the Philippines and its citizens work hand in hand to achieve their desired goals – A Progressive Nation, The Safest Place to Live.

 

10 Rewarding Things to Do this Summer!

1. Rest. We all need it, so don’t feel responsible that you are doing nothing (workaholics please!) and enjoy the slower pace that summer season brings. Most people are so busy and work has got in their way.  Get to bed early when you can and try not to watch television or any movie before bed time as I usually do (I hope, The Nanny show from the Hallmark Channel be moved to a morning timeslot! What a hilarious sitcom!).
2. Relax. You will be able to relax when you are well rested – it may take a day or
   two, before you get in the groove, but you will (am sure). Take deep breaths and slow your mind to also keep everything at a slow pace. Allow it to be open to new ideas when you’re ready to receive them.
3. Catch up with friends and family. Have a simple pot-luck cookout or picnic and
   re-connect with those you love and don’t see as often as you’d like. Keep it simple
   and unplanned – sometimes those are the best times we can share with each other and have fun (I often wonder, why the unplanned events are the most fun and without annoyances? In which I hope seek answers in my next blog.)
4. Visit a new place you haven’t been to before. There are many beautiful places
   around you that you probably have not visited for the first time. Do so now for you are not sure when you will have the time to visit it again. It will enlighten you to your local surroundings and provide you with food for thought when generating new ideas for your personal and professional life. You may opt to do it by land, by sea or by air. But once you’re there, you may want to take a hike to gaze at and appreciate the wonders and beauty of the place as what I have done in HK and other new places I have visited (a lot of fun!). Try to learn about its people, history, culture and the arts.
5. Read a book, or two or three and leave your PDAs at home. Summer is the best time to give yourself permission to read for pleasure. It’s great to read a good book, but the books that allow you to put yourself into someone else’s world are wonderful escapes that can leave you rejuvenated and intrigued (at present, am reading Eckhart Tolle’s – A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, which I haven’t finished reading yet).  In as much as we want to finish the book we are reading without any hassle, there are so many electronic devices we need to respond to. Remember, most people are taking time off now, too, so there’s probably nothing very urgent you need to be responding to – unless you’re a physician on call, so leave the gizmos at home when you hit the beach. It is going to be a long time off from work come April 6-12 and I am sure to bring Eckhart Toole’s and two other books given to me by a dear friend (You know who you are, that is if you are reading this!).
6. Learn a new skill or talent you’ve always wanted to. It is best to go back to school or work, with a new you. You can learn new skills by enrolling at TESDAs short courses. Take driving, baking, electronics, computer-related courses and dressmaking for instance. Meanwhile, you can also hone or develop you untapped veiled talents by enrolling in different short-term classes such as dancing, singing and the rest of the arts. You can attend Maria Abulencia’s Healing Arts classes (Maria authored three books to date. One I have read is Maria’s Notebook– a story of life, love and its complications).
7. Work on your physique. Because of the frenzied work schedule during the entire year, day-in and day-out, we have forgotten to focus on our own shape (you may opt to read my previous blog). It is not best to just come back to work equipped with a new skill or talent. I believe it would be very best to come back with totally a different aura. A Revitalized you inside and out. You can have a total-self make-over. You can enroll on a gym, yoga, pilates or belly dancing class. Visit your hairstylist, dermatologist, and your dentist for your external radiance and your cardiologist, internist and all for your internal magnificence.
8. Reflect on the year so far. Summertime is a great mid-point to the year that allows you to take note of your accomplishments to date and re-visit some of the things you’d like to continue to pursue in the months to come, or before the end of the year – just in time for those infamous annual reports, year-end accomplishments and Institutional Annual Plan (I hope the different departments would submit theirs so I could consolidate them all early!).
9. Sit on the beach and listen to an audio book. If you’re obligated to fill your mind
   with more business development information, a How To CD program might be just the
   thing? Better yet, you can enjoy the new place that you are visiting while listening to your favorite e-books with Ophra’s favorite new gadget—the Amazon Kindle (it can handle 4,000 or so e-books from Amazon.com in which otherwise depends on its memory capacity). Resist the urge to take notes while listening. Close your eyes and take in what you can. If something strikes you, that’s what you were meant to hear.
10. Set some Back to School, Back to Work Goals for yourself. Before school days come around, write down a list of things you’d like to do. Make some plans, decisions and start the academic year off with a bang! People are most motivated to start new projects in the summer because of our past conditioning with school, etc.

 

Things to do During the Holy Week

1. Palm Sunday – Attend the morning mass and have all your young coconut palm blessed by the parish priest after the mass. Wave it to the air to receive the Lord’s blessings. The blessed palm would protect you and your family (as we believe) from sickness and harm. Repent. Pray.

2. Holy Monday – Back to office and do the regular office work. Repent. Pray.

3. Holy Tuesday – At work still. Repent. Pray.

 

10 Tummy Flattening Tips

Months have passed and I have been so lazy doing my routine (badminton and swimming). Tired from work and going home late at night made me feel whacked. Work has great demands. Mind was preoccupied with so many stressing thoughts (life, work, family and relationships). Time was short (Everything is instant). Travel is lengthy. Am at a loss! Can’t keep track!

 

MEANINGLESS EXISTENCE

Have you ever come to a point in your life that you wake up one morning and you do not find any purpose of yourself? Have you ever asked yourself why you still exist wherein most of the people you are living for do not value your existence anymore? Maybe they do, but they value yours for their own selfish and earthly reasons. It is true that God created us in His own image and likeness and we should live our own lives for His honor and glory but merely human as we are, we cannot help but doubt our own faith.

 

WHY WE SHOULD GO HOME ON TIME?

It has been too long since i posted my last blog. It is because i do not have enough time to log on and do the blogging, though am almost always eight hours a day sitting in front of my office pc. Since our institutional Christmas party just lasted an hour ago and am so damn bored waiting for my boss to come who is recently having her vincentian cooperative general assembly and give the signal that me and my three student assistants can go home, i suddenly thought of logging into my wordpress account and feed my hungry space with a short blog. I have been meaning to do this for months now. Am posting here a copy of a story in which I am positive that most people in the working class would be able to relate much with..

I hope the very few readers would be able to get something from this very interesting story…. read on…

 

INSTANT NOODLE LOVERS, Think Twice!

It is because that roughly all of the things around us today are INSTANT; we tend to depend our lives on the instantaneousness of everything in our every attempt. The generation Y in particular is so much dependent on the conveniences brought about by the technological advancement that caused just about everything to be instant.

Since we are enticed by the results, we want everything to be in our enjoyment at once to make our life a lot easier not knowing that WE ARE GRADUALLY MAKING IT A LOT MORE COMPLICATED. Why? Here’s one instance why.

 

In My Claws

Everyday I feel like life is so unfair. Otherwise, is it just fair enough only I do not see it the way I should? I have come this distance not only because of the people along the way who helped me get this far but also because of my own efforts to achieve all my visions in life. Being the eldest among my siblings, I have to struggle and overcome every obstacle that comes my way just to reach for my dreams and mainly, to uplift our family’s standard of living. Lucky enough there are so many people who are willing and able to help me finish my studies. Lucky, I have a few scholarship offers back when I was in college that helped me a lot in paying all of my school expenses and tuition fees.