gloriousa@blogspot.com

More of those unforgettable memories.

2012-01-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Just flipping the calendar of the Past, I came across more pictures to remind us that life can be fulfilling when shared with our Loved ones. Some of us may live long enough to see three generations in our life but who knows if we can match the life span of our Parents... Here are more of those memories: It's nice to see them come alive.

Memories of the Past

2012-01-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I had the time to write in my blogger. A lot of excuses that doesn't make sense sometimes but here I am again. It's kind of hard to compose a good blog when one is tired physically . It affects your mood and also your ability to put into writing what you really have in mind.
After a long silence, there must always be something new for the New Year. It has been another busy year ,2011, I mean. It's has always been work and more work but in the Fall, we were able to see the well-known Japanese Garden here in Portland. What a place that is. The place is so quiet, serene and the right place to meditate. Here are some pictures that may prove my point. Enjoy the view Folks:

2011-08-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Vancouver ,BC

2011-08-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

August 19-21, 2011
George and I started early to beat the traffic on our way to Vancouver ,BC. We were almost late. The road was already starting to fill -up. Anyway, we were able to go through it, reached the Border at about 12:00 noon after a brief stop for a Subway Sandwich along the way. We took another entrance this time Sumas Border(WA). We were able to reach Maple Ridge,our destination at Travel Lodge Hotel (about to be changed-now under renovation) checked in then we were on our way to my niece' place located only a mile away.
My brother and Ate Flor were waiting for us and the two little dogs (Patsy and Magie) They are cute little things. We went on to tell stories, some good some are a bit emotional. I was surprised to see them aged so much since the last time I saw them 4 years ago but perhaps they are saying the same thing about me. Time is moving so fast. We are going downhill and can't do anything to stop it. Whatever more time left in our lives (who knows) should be spent the best way we can.
My nieces and their hubbies co-ordinated all the events for the next day and we all agreed to go to Whistler,where the Olympic was held the previous year. Quite a long drive from the city but was worth it. We got into this Old Britannia Coper Mine . Quite a story from our Tourist Guide. This reminds me of my Dad's job before in The Antamok Gold Mines in the Phil. Tough labor situation at the time when modern machineries were not yet invented.
We got out of there and into this stretch of long road with beautiful sceneries on the way towards the Whistler. The view was spectacular along the way and even better when we reached the place. They had turned the place into a great Resort. Not like other Olympic Places being abandoned after the Athletic Competitions, this place was mobbed and full of Tourists. A lot of activities going on. The temperature had turned hot (quite unusual they said) and quite crowded. Ate Flor and Kuya Tony were impressed at the views specially the snowcapped Mountains yonder. We just paid for the parking space for 4 hours ($7) We stayed the whole time and roamed around until our feet ached. When we got hungry, we just grabbed hot dogs at Dairy Queen then off we went checking souvenirs. We got out of the place contented and with the promise to be back there in the near future.
We rounded up our night with fried rice prepared by Lou. Enjoyed the long conversation, George laying out some Corpuz stories on the table while my Eldest Brother tried his best to answer all questions to the best of his ability, nailing him sometimes about opinions on certain things. Anyway, things had ended well and we said our goodnights and off we went to our Hotel with a promise to be out early in the morning for a Morning exercise (a long walk along the Dike at Maple Ridge) and a breakfast at Tim Horton. There goes the story of this brief visit to Vancouver, CA. Hasta la vista Baby!
Let's Post some pictures here:

Europe-2011

2011-05-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

Europe-2011: "Let's go EUROPE"

The Devil's Advocate-Morris West

2010-12-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas and here I am just quietly reading a book by Morris West unmindful of all the commotions outside. It's the Holiday Season yet I can't bring myself to get excited. It might be a part of this post-midlife crisis.I should be out there shopping watching people's excitement and anxieties about gifts for friends and relatives but this year, I just lost it all. Well, I decided to just keep quiet,and even volunteered to work on the day itself. What is Christmas all about? The older I grow, the more I become skeptical about it all. Am I being influenced by some people around me?. Probably not. I have my own opinion and shouldn't be disuaded by others. However, I just decided to do some meditation on my own.
Anyway, I had just finished this novel "The Devil's Advocate" and have some quotes here that I think makes good sense.

A TREE IS KNOWN BY IT'S FRUITS.

SANCTITY IN ONE MAN LEAVES ITS IMPRINTS LIKE A SEAL ON THE HEARTS OF OTHERS.

A GOOD WORK REPRODUCES ITSELF AS A SEED OF ONE FRUIT GROWS INTO ANOTHER.

A MIRACLE THAT PRODUCES NO GOOD IN HUMAN HEART IS A POINTLESS CONJURING TRICK UNWORTHY OF THE OMNIPOTENCE.

I just like this one; BETTER BURN OUT THAN RUST OUT.

So long, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. Let's face the New Year 2011 with a new vigor and better outlook in life.

In memory of Henry

2010-12-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Painful Truth of Life

2010-11-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Somehow, as we go through life, there are times when we have to face the truth no matter how painful it maybe. There is no such thing as world eternal inthe world of the living. Everything has a certain end.
It's been a week since Henry our cat had been put to eternal rest and it hurts to even think about it at the moment. He was sitting on my lap as we brought him to the Vet., I was petting him and promising that things will be alright as soon as they find out what's wrong with him. He was purring and felt confidence, full of trust that he will soon be fine. After the Doctor finished checking him out, he gave us the bad news. Even worse when he learned how old he is. He was about 17 years old and to even suggest about a $3000 worth of operations to fix his eyes which had been puffy and bulging for about a month since had become out of the question. He might not abe ble to stand it all. Just with his infected eye, he is suffering enomous pain although he never complained about it. He might die just the same and to put him into those painful needles and lab analysis might be too much.
With a heavy heart, we need to make up our mind right then and there. I cried helplessly , that feeling I had with my Mom's death.
I calmed down after a while and finally came to grip with reality.
To our dear Henry, these photos will always remind us of you...

A Hallloween to remember-2010

2010-11-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

I had been in this job as a Deli Clerk for almst 8 years now and I had never met such a customer. In retailing, things are never perfect and customers think that they have all the rights in the world.
I was about done of the place when this Father of 2 teenage girls asked me to make them 3 sandwiches: A panini to be heated at high temp-1.20 min: a hot Italian -heated at lower temp for 1:10 min.and the third is a new Sandwitch which is being introduced monthly.
I thought I budgeted my time wisely. Made the first one, heated it and started the next one, wrapped the first, and put in the second. While starting the 3rd, I have to glance at the menu. This Good Father then started critisizing me for being slow. He went on to say that I need to wash the spreader which I could have done without him telling me. Then he said again that I was so slow. "Have you ever made that Sandwich before? " he asked. "Well Sir, I did but this is new and with all the hundreds of Sandwiches that we do here everyday, I want to make sure that I have all the needed condiments." came the answer. Then he went on to criticise me for changing gloves in every transaction. "That makes me sick to see you keep changing your gloves." "Well, we were trained to do it to prevent contamination" came the answer. Then perhaps he thought that I was right and he was wrong, he simply said "I don't want to deal with you anymore" You are so slow, distracted as if you are intimidated by me". ("Well, who won't with the way he made comments in my every move?"I thought to myself.) Anyway, after all my efforts to make all those sandwiches, he stormed out that door without them. Tha Asshole left without his sandwiches! Then to make it worse, he went complaining to our Gen. Manager...Luckily, we meet a lot of these jerks everyday and take my words for it. He told them a different story, that He waited for 15 min. ! Well, good riddance BUM. Perhaps that's a good example for your kids who were with you. No wonder so many fuck-p kids these days. They get it from inconsiderate parents.

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2010-09-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

IMG_4024.JPG: "Vacation-Sept.9-19"

A week's vacation with my nieces in Bulacan

2010-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

We had these things planned three months ago. Lee from the Philippines, 3rd daughter of Kuya Tony, is coming to the U.S. for some Business Exhibition in Missouri and made some arrangements with her sisters in Vancouver,Canada to come over to Seattle, Washington, just across the border from British Columbia. From Missouri, she is going to fly to Seattle. The arrangements were made and on Sept. 11-14, they will be staying with Boyet, Marivic's Husband who has an Apartment at the Military Base in Fort Lewis,Tacoma, Washington.
I then applied for a week OFF from work so we could meet them. I took Sept. 9 to the 18th but because she can only stay for 4 days, we only had a chance to see her for a day, Sunday. It's a 3 hr drive from our place (Tigard, OR) to Seattle but we were able to meet at Ihop Restaurant which is very near the Military Base. It's quite a happy re-union for all of us.
To see all these nieces succeed in their lives is a very good feeling even if I'm just their Auntie. They all had been a part of my life and to see them outside the Philippines doing well is a good relief.
We have just roamed around Fort Lewis (Can't do it without a permit, though). Since this Sunday was a Football Sunday , we tried to avoid the traffic inside the City which was a nightmare. We had the chance to see a lot of the Military facilities in that wide area of Fort Lewis, thanks to Ron Chungtoyco (that's Marivic's Hubby) We had fun but as we ended the shopping, the driving around and the lunches, the reunion reached its end. Luisa came home with us to Tigard leaving Vicky and her family to take care of Lee to the Airport the next day.There is always sadness in every goobyes but life is full of these and we just have to get used to it. We surely would meet again.
We finally reached Tigard at night (about 9:00 PM) and the weather looks promising. So, the next day, we are ready to hit Cannon Beach. However, Typical of OR, the weather keeps changing and the promise of a sunny day disappeared. It's mostly cloudy but at least not raining and it's mild. We hit Ecola Beach and George did his usual trick of not paying at the gate since there's no one there to monitor, although most are paying $5 entrance. O, well,sometimes there are always consequences but not this time. He always makes a good laugh at it since he said he is already paying taxes. The sight there was great since you are overlooking the long stretch sandy beach.
Picture taking here and there for remembrance just between Lou and I since George didn't bring his camera. He was so frustrated that he can't find his charger.
The next day, we proceeded to the famous Multnomah Falls. Another cloudy day despite the previous forecast of a Sunny one. You can easily be fooled by the weather here but as long as it's not raining, it is fine and pleasant. It would have been a more spectacular view from the Crown Point if it was not foggy since we can see the wide Williamette River and more.
Lou only stayed for 2 full days so we were only able to cover 2 scenic places. She has to go back to work on Wednesday. We hope to have more time next visit. For the rest of the story, we need the pictures...So, here they are

Carlsbad National Park, New Mexico

2010-07-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad National Park, New Mexico

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2010-07-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

IMG_2172.JPG: "Petrified Forest"

Las Vegas, Nevada

2010-07-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada: "Last two days of the trip. Every beginning has to end."

Grand Canyon, Arizona

2010-07-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Finally, a vacation, a good break.

2010-04-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

A week's vacation is always welcome after working straight days from June,2009 to April,2010. One has to has to be tough to go through all these but I always make it. To always look forward to a good vacation keeps me going and to be able to have some pocket money to spend all the time without depending on someone else is even a beter feeling. Yes, I would say, that I'm happy the way life is going for me. I might be very tired at the end of the day but going home is always a pleasure since it's so peaceful after a grilling day. I always believe that life has to be spent to the fullest and by this it means we need to keep moving grabbing every opportunity to come our way. In the long run we can look back and say, Wow! how did I do all that? LIfe is a continous process and the way may not always be as smooth as you expected it to be but it's always nice to see the bigger picture that life has to offer.
Well,eleven days was the plan. Yes, you would think that it will be a restful vacation but nope! George, my hubby had made a long list of places to see. Being a Senior, he is now entitled to a $10 worth ticket for a lifetime visit to all National Parks in the U.S. and can bring with him 3 guests in each visit. So, to take advantage of this, we flew to Phoenix, Arizona, rented a car and off we drove to the PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK.It was a scenic long drive and when we reached the place, the weather had changed. Quite an impressive place but it was spoiled by the bad weather. Big petrified rocks all over the place and the hills are nicely formed by both the hot weather and the icy weather.The natural formation of rocks and the Painted desert (wide area of colored sand, layered and wavy is a mazing sight.(some pictures posted at FB) We decided to get out of the place the next day and on to another place.
CARLSBAD National Park. Another long drive to but rewarding at the end. Such views makes us realize that so many things in the world had been created for us to discover and enjoy. We have to enter a big cave and from there just keep going until we were exhausted and finally get into an elevator on our way up. On the way are rock formation made of stalactites and stalagmites forming different figures and some sort of theaters inside the cave. God knows how they were placed there and undiscovered for so many years and almost ruined by wealth seekers. We stayed for several hours but we misssed the queen and the Kings Palaces. We have to keep moving. On to Santa Fe, New Mexico;Taos,to Mesa Verda swing toThe Arches National Park-Moab, Utah;to the Grand Canyon, Arizona then on to Las Vegas,Nevada. Crowding all these places in just 11 days is quite ingenious for the Planner. O, well, we made it and we will do it again perhaps as long as we can still walk and climb the mountains.

New Year -New Post

2010-01-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

What do people do on New Year's Day? Back in the Phil. people have to get up early no matter how late they had been the previous night. New Year's Eve is the biggest Celebration back in my native land( Philippines). It is compared to a July 4th here in the U.S. Fire crackers have to be in abundance and despite warnings from the government to take precautions, people just go crazy. We have this belief that if you start the year right, things will end up right. Therefore, all canisters are to be filled, rice should be overflowing its jar, and on the eve itself, people prepare as much food as they can afford, some to the extent of borrowing money because to be poor at the beginning of the year, means sufferings all year round.
New Year's resolution has to be made even if it meant to be broken over and over again. At least everybody tries.
I did something different these Holidays. I did bad this New Year because I have to work but last Christmas, I finally made up my mind that no matter what, I have to attend the midnight mass for a change,even if I have to drag my Hubby, keep him awake until after the mass. I had been here for the last 18 years and I'm not proud to say that I always missed this occasion. Luckily, some of those years, I had been back to the Phil. where people never missed the midnight mass no matter where they are. One thing I missed, because Filipinos by nature are very religious. Every activity has to stop before midnight to attend to the Misa de Noche, a culmination of the Misa de Gallo which is conducted every early mornings from the 16th of December until Christmas Eve. Some people make pledges, they have to complete these 10 days to make their wishes come true. It's like one Fiesta after another during the Holidays which really makes the Holidays in the Philippines very different from any other countries. Ladies have to put on their best clothings and everybody is pretty during the occasion. Of course, this had been passed from generations, originated from the Spanish Conquestadores.
Yes, simply looking back to those younger days make one feels homesick and depressed but we have to accept the fact that things are never the same. One gets up in the morning and realizes, where is everybody now? Mom and Dad is gone, all the first gerations had passed away, and we are next on line. Anyway, why think of such things these days. Life goes on. We need to keep moving. Hey, it is New Year, who wants to be sad? CHEEEEERRRRRSSS!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Sewing is not just for tailors and dressmakers...

2009-11-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

October 28, 2009 (10-28-2009)...just before the halloween. I worked five days in a row. As usual, I was scheduled as the opener. The job is stressful as I described in my previous blog. I went on my merry way of trying to accomplish as much as I could hoping to be able to make the place looking good before the crowd sets in. I had pretty much budgeted my time, done all my salad displays nice and full and with all the necessary garnishing. At seven, I'm right on schedule to slice the meats .
However, On this date, as I was slicing the Black Forest Ham, My plastic gloves got caught in this automatic slicer which I had just sharpened earlier. The plastic got sliced and so did my finger. At first , I thought it was just a skin deep, that all I needed was a band-aid to press the skin together. Further look at it though scared the first aid nurse because the one inch skin was hanging at the tip of my finger. This somehow has to be re-attached. They rushed me to the emergency room of the Providence Health Services. It is supposed to be an emergency but they let me wait for about 3 hours anyway before they were able to attened to the wound. So, they gave 9 stitches on one and four on the other. After 5 days, the bill came and I tell you, it's a shocker. For a simple wound like this, the hospital charged my company $916. For what? It's hard to believe this. Man, it's scary anymore to get hurt in this country. I learnned my lesson the hard way.
With this accident, I could have used some of my sickdays but as usual, I always think of others first before myself. I don't know why. So I kept working with a bandaged finger just not to disrupt the scheduling , but ,O boy, is it painful and uncomfortable I should have known better.I had a lot of sickdays but I feel uncomfortable sitting at home if I can still move my arms.
The fingers healed well in about 2 weeks but the scar remains. There is a lesson we get at times like this. The more we get hurt, the tougherans wiser we become. Since then, I always wear my cutting gloves everytime even if I have to waste many plastic gloves on top of it.I feel lucky that I didn't lose any finger. Thanks GOD!

Pictures!

2009-11-01T21:52:00.001-08:00

A Day-Off!!!

2009-08-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

After a week of rambling and ranting about the workplace, what should one do on a day-off? Think of a place to get away for a while and enjoy.
A back-breaking job but a good exercise for an aging lady like me. One wakes up in the morning at 4:00AM, get ready for the job at 5:30. Get out of the house at 5:15 and be on the spot on time. It's just a 5 min. drive actually, which is very convenient. I'll be working on my own until the next person comes in, sometimes they schedule one at 7:00AM and sometimes at 8:00AM. Flexibility is required with this kind of job.
Here is how it works: look around and pick up some outdated products from display cases which contains millions of items from the grab 'n go to the cold cooked products(whole chicken, pork ribs, meatloaf, ready to eat fresh salads, all the way to the pizzas,pre-packaged products like macaroni, potatoes(mashed, deviled egg, mustard, classic) down to the value packed meats and cheeses, and to the fresh pasta section. Always keep your eyes open along your way and check the pita breads, dried bagels, soups and many more. To do this in just 30 min. is like sweeping the place in a flash. While doing this, you must be thinking how to set-up the hot case and cold case as fast as you can to be able to meet the busy time starting at 9:00AM but not ignoring the early birds who wants their sliced meat cut his way or that way specifically. O, while attending the customers , you have to be aware of the attributes which everyone is trained to do before being hired.( Greeting,engaging them in a conversation. selling suggestions, make the deal, make them feel good, parting words, O, you also bring the customer to the place if they can't find what they are looking for in the store, no matter how busy you are,( ass kissing, ha ha ha) If you think you are good at this, you are in! Good job, congratulations!
Setting up the Salad Case is the next job. There are about 17 pans of salads to take care of. Change some and others just flip it on new pans and set the 3 days expiration dates. Make sure that they all have labels,some on sale others are not. Can you do this in 30 min.? Good job! But you have to wash those pans , too, as you go.
Next thing is to put the Whole chicken, Turkey, Meatloaf etc in the Oven at 7:00AM which cooks for 1 hr. These has to be out there in the Hot Case at 8:00 AM!
Next is the Hot Case which can hold 3 large pans, 2 mediums and 8 small ones. Each and every pan must hold different items like fried chicken, to burritos, Jojos,chicken strips etc. If you can do this in 30 min. Great job,too! Yes you can do it but only if there are no customers to disrupt you as you go. Since you are to cover the whole area from the sandwich bar to the cold case, sliced meat etc. you ought to work fast. If new salads are to be made, you have to do it too, and make sure the HMR Case is looking nice and full. When you had done that, you should feel good. Go ahead and start slicing the meat but make sure that you check the sales from the previous week to figure out how much you will have to cut of that kind of meat this day. O, there are 20 choices. You must also be aware of the meats that are on sale. Cut more of that kind of meat, otherwise you are allowed to cut just small amount at a time. ( Of course, I have something to say about this: How can one predict that you will be able to sell just that same amount as last week? It might be busier this day that this same day last week! or the demand for that kind of meat might be more this time, but O, they said that you just cut as you go. Hmmm, with just one meat slicer? What if 2, 3 4 people are waiting to be served and they all want their own kind of meat cut fresh? Will they be able to wait? Had this method been carefully studied and analyzed by those in-charge and are they on the spot when people get frustrated and simply couldn't wait and go away? I doubt it. They ought to be there and work with us one day to see how it works. I had been in retailing for sometime and I had never figured out how many people comes in a day! Well, can't blame them for trying to minimize spoilage. However, despite all these, we still have a lot of distresses. They don't like to mark them down like other stores do. They rather throw them away for fear of legal suits in case someone gets sick.(This makes sense knowing people these days. They take advantage of every chance to make money )
Hey, but this is just one shift. Wait 'till I tell you about the other shifts. I feel dead tired simply thinking about it but life goes on. If we stop moving, we may as well be dead. I love to be on the move but hate doing paper works.
Well, I haven't even talked about the DAY-OFF!
My Hubby and I decided to get away for the day. Drove to Canon Beach. On our way we dropped by a friends house . She had her first born baby and a new home, too. He is a cute little boy. We don't have one and we had fun taking his pictures and holding that innocent little boy. He is so fragile. Well the joy of having a baby perhaps is indescribable.
We went on but the weather doesn't seem to be cooperative . It's cloudy and about to rain. Not a good time for the beach. All we did is shop for something worthy and I had a big surprise at the end of the day. My Hubby was so pleased at how I hosted his friends when they visited us in OR that he rewarded me with a beautiful Flower vase worth $128. What made it expensive I think is that it has the painting of "The Kiss" by a Swiss painter Gustav Klimt.(You can google this and find his paintings) Well, quite a reward, THANK YOU,Dear George.
Well, let me see if I can upload some pictures.

Why Istanbul is mystical - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-08-01T22:59:00.001-07:00

Why Istanbul is mystical - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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Come Hell And High Heavens

2009-05-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Travelling is the obsession of my Husband. Never really cared about it at first but joined him to see places anyway. However, the more I say to myself, what a waste of money it is, I soon realized what changes it has transformed me, a naive, innocent and unsophisticated lady from the barrio of Old Sudipen, La Union , Philippines, into a wiser, broadminded , appreciative former teacher. Never in my wildest dream will I be ever be exposed to lives and cultures of the world outside my own. This last trip to Europe (hopefully not) had made me realize what a difference my perspective had changed. After every trip, I always promise to read more about these places we had been, but never had all the time to do it. I have to work. I simply left all those journals and" exhibits "sitting in the corner of our house hoping that someday, yes, someday, I'll be able to browse through them all over again and let all those memories come alive. ( Hoping , too, that Alzhiemers will not catch up with me).
Yes, this last trip had been our most ambitious one ever! We can't believe ourselves that we will be able to come home alive, in one piece . 11 countries in 21 days is too much for a 64 and a 57 years olds.
We started in Amsterdam, Holland. A place to see the works of the famous painters like Rembrandt, (Night Watch), Van Gogh who spent some of his life here has his whole life well related chronologically at the Van Gogh Museum, the famous Red Light District ( Naked Models) but the best of Amsterdam is actually out in the suburbs where life is so peaceful in simple little towns like Edam, Volendam and Zaanse Schans. Don't ever get caught without a ticket! We ended up paying about 75 Euros fine for a 4.50 E ride to the airport,(not worth the risk). This is pretty outrageous! You are in a hurry to catch a plane, planned to get a ticket on the train and boom! No excuses, you have to pay! They think everybody is there to cheat them...Well , they make a lot of money from this, I bet, specially from tourists who overlook their rigid rules.
Dubrovnik, Croatia, known as the Walled City in Eastern Europe was the next destination. A Walled City, also known as the Queen of the Adriatic." A town monument, encased in it's ancient ramparts, historical treasure chest and a harmonious reflection of the beauty of nature and a balmy climate it is set in. " It's history is recognizable in two ever-present hallmarks: Saint Blaise and the quest for Freedom . People had been worshipping their Saint Protector for over a thousand years and a flag bearing the inscription Libertas is readily rocognizable symbol of its history. We did a side trip to Medjugorje (Where the Apparition of The Virgin in the 1980"s to 6 kids) only to find the place deserted and lost its charm probably due to the War and some suspicion of fraudulence). From there to Mostar to see the famous bridge in war-torn Bosnia (EasternEurope) Quite a history these places had. The bridge was built three times with the use of the same stones they used originally. It was raining , non-stop, so this spoiled our supposedly nice pictures.
Next city was Brussels to visit my niece and family who is under scholarship at Leuven University. A happy re-union. Their Little boy of God is something. Smart boy who can speak English fluently at the age of three! (I would call him a Wonder Boy). Sorry that at that time he was having cold but amazing how he behaved despite the discomforts. Quite unusual for a kid his age,too!
We spent a night with them, got up early the next morning to catch our flight at Charleroi Airport (Wizz Air) only to find out that the plane left 3 hours earlier! We were lost . We tried to check other Wizz flight closer to Prague and we ended up in Katowice, Poland ( 2 hrs) for 190 Euros for Two. However, we have to take a supposed to be four hours train to Prague but this slow train brought us there in seven hours.To reach Prague at midnight is not fun. Luckily, the hotel held our reservation and we had a good rest in Pension Borsov, but cut our time in Prague by one day. This did not break our spirit. We still had fun in this crowded City. We left Prague early after a full day roaming around to catch a flight to Istanbul. We were rewarded with all the beautiful sights of this Great City for three days with the only upset being our hotel. It was not as nice as we saw through the internet. For 50 Euros for a night with free breakfast is not bad but our last night was a nightmare since our water was cut-off due to a broken pipe in the neighborhood. It was a looong night for me. Great photography Paradise but got to have entrance fees at every sight like the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Underground Bath, but the Blue Mosque is free.
We flew back to Prague the next day to catch a train to Budapest (the only way to do it then) only to find out that they opened other flights to the place. We just missed the last one so back to plan A; wait at the train station for our midnight train to Budapest! That was the longest wait in my life in a busy terminal. We had other people waiting with us, too. Another sleepless night. If you think that you are strong enough to go through such kind of travel at our age, you better think twice. Thanks to the wit and wisdom of my partner who had been through worse during his earlier travels. We were able to get by with no disasters like we had one time in Rome when we got robbed of all our money and important documents.
We reached Budapest early in the morning only to find out that despite all the assurance about out hotels, they were not ready for us and they simply dumped us in a dirty "suite" as the man put it. He wasn't even aware of our reservation! That's great! He was a haggard looking man, supposed to be an artist? We read a lot of good feedbacks about the place, but I don't think he will get a good one from us! No hot water at the second night? Ridiculous indeed...
Well, the trip must go on. We got up early to catch a flight to Oslo. With our backpacks getting heavier all the time, I decided to just stand up with it but the airport is farther than I thought, then we have to turn back from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 where Norwegian Air flies . No distinction between International or Domestic flight, I assume. We reached Oslo that morning only to walk about a mile again to get to our Hotel. Tried to save some money for an expensive taxi. This made me realize what Lou, my niece had commented, a rolling backpack should have been more practical! Why, it seems like we were the only ones carrying heavy backpacks while everybody are merrily pulling theirs.
Oslo is a great City to visit but beware of the sky high prices. MacDonalds would cost you 37 Euros for a good meal for two compared to $10 here in the U.S. Wow, how is that for a difference? To our disappointment, also, Holmenkollen, the ski jump is closed for renovation, a waste of time and ticket. Vigeland Park is a very interesting place (sculptures of the different phases of life by Gustav Vigeland). ancient Viking ships is another place to learn history of the Norwegians and simply sitting on top of the hill (Akerhuis Fortress). I just learned that "Oslo" came from the word"Os" -God; "Lo" -fields. It's indeed a field of the Gods!
Our last stop was Berlin, just a repeat and might be our last visit to the place, We met with another niece,Ruth and her hubby Justin. For just one day with them, it had been cold and rainy the whole day. Can't get around much. I feel sorry for them not to have seen much but they live at the Military Base there so I hope they go back there when the weather is better. They left the next day and George and I stayed for another day. We had enough of Europe and this last day had been spoiled by gusty wind, cold with rainshowers. Memorable way to end a trip. The highlights are the Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charly, Pergamon Museum, home of the Ishtar Gate and many others. What the heck, we had been through Hell and High Water (or should it be better to say Heavens?), it's great to be back to the U.S. again. Home Sweet Home!!! Let's try to post some pictures on the next blog... Coming soon!

Tribute to Patrick

2009-05-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Patrick has been with us for about 10 years. He became a part of the family since our neighbor abandoned him when he was three years old. My husband who had been also an orphan can't just let anyone roaming down the streets and no where to go . He then took this little one and gave him a chance in a lifetime to live the way he wants. However, once and a while he became a big trouble. He can't get along well with others, sometimes very defensive but we knew that he doesn't know any better . Many times we planned to give him away to anyone who might be able to understand his behaviour but who could understand him more than us who provided him shelter since he was a little one. We kept hoping that he would mellow as he age but not really. It must have been in his past. We found out later that he was scared of water spray and just an act of it scared him to death. Some traumatic experience in his youth. He never wants to e cuddled and never purred. He loves to pose for me and he became my model while learning how to be good photographer. Seeing his pictures now though made me realize how sad he had always been.
Here are some shots that I took of him. I would let you be the judge.
We left him to a good neighbor lately for a three weeks trip to Europe. He seemed sad but he had always been. Little did we know that the sad looks in his eyes were for real.We got this E-mail from Donna after a week that he had been sick, rushed to a hospital but dead on arrival. Donna was just as devastated as we were. Seeing those flowers with him taken before we left makes me think, was it a premonition of a sad ending? The Doctor can't even tell what caused his death. We wish that we were at least been with him when he went. To make sure that he will always be with us, we find him a good resting place among the flowers in the backyard. May he rest in peace.
What really makes me feel so bad is the thought that at this time 2 years ago,my Mom passed away while my Sister Nene and I were again touring in Europe, same month and almost the same date. It had opened a fresh wound. I almost forgot about it until I read blogs from my two nieces Lou and Lovelyn about a Grandma that they wish would have met and known better. Be assured My Dears that you may not have known her well and yet she knew and heard all about you all the way. Amen Amen, I say to you. She had always been the quiet little Angel beside you. Thanks for the tribute.

Embarking on a long Trip

2009-04-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

What should one do when planning a 3 weeks trip to Europe?

A week before, I already started cleaning the house. Working full time 5 days a week and getting ready for this trip isn't fun. The thought that you will be leaving behind a house with 3 cats to be concerned about is a big problem. Since they don't know any better not like humans, We have to be ready for everything. Food, beds outside and inside as well as water. They might have some upset stomach etc. but what a thought. Luckily we have a very kind neighbor who is willing to take care of them. Thanks , Donna.

Cleaning the house is another hassle specially with all the plants that I had accumulated inside. Yes, I have a small garden inside the house to protect my favorite plants through the winter which keeps me busy all the time. They need to be taken cared of . Luckily, Springtime is always rainy here in OR so I decided to replant them outside. I have to leave my favorite ones inside though for fear that they will not survive very well when exposed to the still chilly weather. I read that by using a big string attached to the bottom with water below will keep them alive since water sips through and keep the roots moist. One of my experiments. We'll see.

At 11:00 A.M, our friend Helen will come to pick us up and bring us to the airport. Bless her soul. She is a very nice lady , too. In just one day, I was able to at least clean up all the clutters and what a difference when evrything is in their proper order or at least the ugly ones were hidden from view (lol).
Well, I'm feeling very tired but I'm hoping for a good rest on the plane. May God Be With Us. More stories soon when I come back. Stories about Europe and all the things that we might encounter in this other adventure in our life!

A Thousand Pieces of a Puzzle-Done!

2009-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how tiny pieces, cut from a big picture can be put together. One has to start somewhere, in a corner, at the middle, top or bottom. Whatever strategy you want it to be, for sure you will be able to finish it eventually. Simply follow the color, the lines, the shapes of the little pieces. Some shades maybe the same, shapes look alike, but it's always a trial and error. You think it's simple but not really. Simply staring at those tiny pieces makes your head go round. Sometimes you get lucky, at other times you get frustrated, mad, even swear. There are times when you simply stare at those figures for hours and nothing seems to fit. You go to sleep wondering, thinking of another strategy to attack the problem. The next day, when your head seems cleared of whatever is keeping you from organizing your thoughts, face the puzzle again and bingo! One after another, non-stop and you can fit about 20 pieces in one setting. Then you come to learn that it's not the puzzle that's a problem. It's all in you head. If you can concentrate after a tiring and a busy day, you are dreaming, but try to relax and clear up your mind, just have fun, then things seem to come together easy as eating a piece of pie. However, one key to solving a puzzle is PATIENCE my dear. You can compare solving a puzzle with life. There are always lessons to learn as you go on living. However, if you are patient to wait for the right opportunity and not simply giving up, you will eventually reach your goal. You don't have to rush but you can think fast if you can. You have to move with precision trying not to make some fatal mistake. Yes, they said that we learn from our mistakes but anticipating the worse is better than acting impulsively. Well, things are really easier said than done and following all the rules in life without using our common sense makes you feel lost, confused in a world of senselessness.
Sorry but this is the best I can do and say about solving a Thousand pieces of a puzzle. It's a life in itself...

We have lived and loved together-by Charles Jefferys

2009-02-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

We have lived and loved together
Through many changing years;
We have shared each other's gladness
Ad wept each other's tears
I have known ne'er a sorrow
That was long unsoothed by thee
For thy smiles can make a summer
Where darkness else would be.

Like the leaves that fall around us
In Autumn's fading hours
Are the traitor's smiles, that darken
When the clouds of sorrow lowers;
And though many such we've known , love
Too prune ,alas, to range,
We both can speak of one love
Which time can never change.

We have lived and loved together
Through many changing years,
We have shared each other's gladness
And wept each other's tears.
And let us hope the future
As the past has been will be:
I will share with thee my sorrows,
And thou thy joys with me.

This is a nice poem that I picked up from the Books of Gold . I wish that every couple in the world should be able to realize as they go through life together.

Places to see on the list-Travel 2009

2009-02-05T10:54:00.001-08:00

Europe-2009-Here we come

2009-01-29T06:37:00.000-08:00

Nine countries in 21 Days !
I can't believe how ambitious this is but better believe it.
April 16-18 ... land in Amsterdam,Holland
19-21- Amsterdam-Dubrovnik,Croatia (side trip into Bosnia for Mejugorje & Mostar)
Fly back to Amsterdam- Brussels April 22
Brussles-Prague, 23-24
Prague, Czechoslovakia - Istanbul, Turkey,25-27
Istanbul-Prague 28, then a night train to Budapest, Hungary , 29-30
May 1-Budapest-Oslo, Norway- until May, 3
Oslo-Berlin Germany-May 4-6
Back home from Berlin-Amsterdam - back to Portland, Oregon (May 7) Home Sweet Home.
How does this sound?
See you there!

2008-11-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Soon to be...
ANTICIPATION
The best thing hasn't been rhymed yet,
The best house hasn't been planned,
The highest peak hasn't been climbed yet,
The mightiest river hasn't been spanned ;

Don't worry and fret,faint- hearted,
The chances has just begun
For he best job hasn't been started
The best work hasn't been done.
By Berton Braley- "No Chance"

Here they are:

2008-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

THE GREAT NEWS

Somehow in the course of our lives we need to make changes. It's like the four seasons- Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.
Yesterday, the world was so green. The birds were singing happily among the trees to welcome the buds from flowers, fresh green shoots from the bare trees, crocuses, daffodils, tulips and others like lilies et all popped out from the ground. The world seems to come alive all of a sudden. It's Springtime in Oregon!
Not long after, comes the hot SUMMER months. With the dry weather, some plants may not survive and they withdraw from the surface of the earth. They had done their part to cheer up the world. As days and months go by,only those with endurance to the heat are left to continue what was started. Fresh fruits comes around as a result of the sun's generosity to supply that powerful energy to generate fruits and vegetables from the good earth. Life is booming again! But it won't be long and the next change takes over. Here comes AUTUMN.
Somehow, there's nothing permanent on earth except CHANGE as the sages say. Whatever comes out of this earth has to go back in, regenerate, energize and hibernation sets in. What goes around comes around. This is necessary for the continuity of life. Leaves start to change colors making the surroundings so bright and beautiful. Colors that Vincent Van Gogh was able to capture in his paintings. Miracles of Nature, I would say. Autumn leaves are spectacular! You have to see it to believe it. Just walking in the park and along the Summer Lake makes us realize how lucky we are to be alive to witness such changes. However in a week or two comes the rain and the gentle breeze although it gets rough at times , forcing the already weakening bond between the tree and its colorful leaves to detach themselves. Hasta la vista Baby! Its like undressing the once robust shade leaving it the branches bare , helpless, and exposed to the wicked spell of Mr. Winter. Such a sight ! Changes in life maybe gradual or drastic. But the colorful leaves on the ground, I tell you, is like walking on a natural carpet laid down by Mother Nature. It is FALL!
WINTER is just around the corner but I would not be bothered by it. Cheerful occasions such as Thanksgiving Day, followed by all the Holiday Season will brighten up the grim cold days. I will be working all through the season and won't even notice what's going on out there. This year is an exception, however, since I had been told that my eldest niece, I mean the oldest of them all, finally found a partner for life and we are going to celebrate this Wedding on the 27th of December, 2008. This My Dear Reader, is the greatest news of all!!!

My Sister's Birthday

2008-10-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Some photos taken during my sister's birthday.

The Vancouver Trip

2008-07-26T04:50:00.001-07:00

Scenes at Cannon Beach, OR

2008-07-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Photobucket Album

Nanang"s Birthday

2008-06-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

To our Dearest Mother,

Today is supposed to be your 94th Birthday. Though you were gone before you even reached this age, you are pretty sure that we, all your kids from the eldest to the youngest are remembering you. You might be in that distant land where we can't see you nor communicate with you anymore but you are always alive in our hearts. At this moment, while I am writing this, tears starts to drop from my eyes again. We just don't know how else we could have done to make you happy when you were still with us, but we thought we did our best although relief came too late for you.We didn't mean to go away from home but you had taught us how to be independent,be on our own, use the brains that you had provided us without forgetting the values that you had silently implanted in us. You may not have said all the words but with your examples, hard works, faithfulness and dedication in bringing us to what we are today, we would have been nothing. For me , you are the best Mom in the world. You may have gone to your Eternal rest with the Almighty Father but be assured that we will remain your good kids, grandkids , nephews and nieces .May you rest in peace with the Lord. Tell Tatang and Romeo that we are Okay doing the best we can in this life until we meet again. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAREST MOTHER.
We Love You All...
The Corpuz Family

Springtime in OR

2008-05-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, we are out of state during Springtime here in OR. We were either in Europe or simply driving in circle at the West Coast of the U.S.
Last year at this time, George, My Sister Virgenia and I agreed to meet at Charles' de Gaulle Airport in Paris. She only had two weeks while we had three. It was an exciting trip although ambitious. We had fun riding on a train and flying from city to city. We covered a lot of territories in such a short time. Although most of these places had been just a repeat for George and I, we still had fun with my Sister. Now we have things to talk about over and over. Three days in Paris, flew to Lisbon, Portugal for also three days, had this special flight to Barcelona (special because there were only seven of us on the plane), another three days to see the Famous Works of the Architect of God( Anthony Gaudi). His famous, Sagrada Familia , Park Guell and the unique structure of the Casa Mila and Casa Batlo. We proceeded to Rome and joined this two hour line to get into the Famous Sistine Chape lto see The Last Judgment, took picture of Michaelangelo' Pieta inside St. Peter's, walked along the Capitoline Hills and to the ruins of Rome.
Then it's time for her to board the plane in Rome back to HK . Sad to see her go and I wish she was able to join us on our connecting flight to Krakaw, Poland to see the Concentration Camps and also to see the beautiful sights in Copenhagen, Denmark. Well, some other time Sis.
This Spring, we stayed home and we were amazed at how beautiful the neighborhood is at this time of the year. It was a late Spring though I would say since it has been cold for the whole month of April. We even have hailstones this last week of April. We finally had sunny weather this first week of May an we hope it will be the beginning of the great spring weather. Here are some of the pictures to show the beauty of Nature here.

Vacation pictures-Phil.

2008-04-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to write more information about these pictures but I had been too busy and tired these days that I could not even concentrate on what to say. My vacation had been bad and good. Good because I was able to see my brothers and sisters and most of my nephews and nieces who had also multiplied, meaning had their own kids. These are supposed to be my grandkids now even if their parents are not my own kids. Such is our relations in the Phil. These little kids are sometimes confused as what to call me since their parents called me Tita, then they call me Tita Lola. I had great fun with all of them, such little GENIUSES. Smart and all topnotch.
The bad part is that for the second week I got sick and the heat finally got to me. I can not eat and lost about 3 pounds. It's nice to slim down but that awful feeling is beyond explanation. I was inclined to blame my Mom and to believe that she must have let me feel what she felt when she got sick since the pain persisted until I was able to get out of the Phil. A day after that 13 hours flight to the U.S. had me feeling better and was even able to go to work the following day. Can anybody explain this?
Well, life is full of surprises indeed!

Life's Woes

2008-02-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

How can we survive in a world where everything is uncertain? Perhaps we just have to keep going doing all the right moves pretending that problems don't exist. This sometimes works for me. I wake up everyday and get ready for work but in between, I have to think of other things to do. They are piling up in my head sometimes and just don't know where to begin and where to end. At my age, I should have figured out now what life is all about. It's simply surviving from all the pressures hitting you right and left.
At work, I can forget everything and simply focusing on what tasks I have to do for the day, frustrated when I can't finish it all and didn't do them right but I feel good since people around me simply understood what's going on. I love that atmosphere where errors are to be treated as not permanent but can always be corrected. There is this great understanding as to why you did what you did and move on trying not to do the same mistake again.
At home, I could rest and do whatever I want and O, I love watching my indoor plants grow and blossom, take a picture of those fresh petals with my digital camera ( my gift from my loving Hubby) and always fearing the inevitable , that those beauties won't be there very long. But so is Life. As they say,nothing is permanent in this world except CHANGE. I believe that we are just passing through and as we go through life, we could have touched so many lives and keep going until we reached the end of that rope that God had allowed us to use. As I grow older, I tend to live simpler and need less and less. I don't need much of anything and have no desire to accumulate more. All I want to do is share even if don't have much to share. What do I care about getting old? When we are done with this world, when we had used up all our strength, seen places I had never imagined to see while a poor little girl,I am then ready to meet with my Maker. God didn't bless us with kids, the right person came along too late in life but there are so many in the world we can share our life with. This itself is fulfilling.
There are a lot of things though that bothers me. People who were lucky enough to have so much just don't look around to notice the unfortunate beings.Of course they worked hard to attain success but when you reach that point, what comes next? We all get old and things that you used to enjoy are not enjoyable anymore, foods you love to eat don't taste as good anymore, the thought of life tires you out and eventually, you just have to say to yourself, it's time to rest, hopefully in peace.
I still don't know what life is all about. I love to give away gifts and make people happy ( only what I can afford) all those who had touched my life. But in the other hand, I could see my youngest sister in the Barrio, who barely could make it. She has four good kids, all didn't ask to be born but they were there anyway . They need all the help for they have brains but my sister is just so helpless. She didn't have any college degree, has a hubby who worked hard but an alcoholic, and I just don't know how else can I help them.My sister in HK pitched in as much as she could, too. I worked hard here too to be able to send her some money, sent those kids to college and now, have to support them for food and everything , too. O Lord, is she the most unfortunate in the family. She doesn't have any steady income, so, My Dear Helen, I'll keep trying to be there whenever you cry for help, but I won't be here forever. All you could do is to keep fighting for survival.Do the best you can and God will do the rest for you. Rest assured that I can't go to sleep at night without praying for you. TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!

Where we were and where we are now!

2008-02-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a poem lifted from the Fields of Gold.

When I was young I felt so small
And frightened for the world was tall.

And even the grasses seemed to me
A forest of immensity.

Until I learned that I could grow,
A glance would leave them from below.

Spanning a tree's height with my eye,
Suddenly I soared as high.

And fixing on a star I grew,
I pushed my head against the blue!

Still as a singing lark, I find
Rapture to leave the grass behind.

And sometimes standing in a crowd
My lips are cool against the cloud.

By Anne Morrow Lindbergh "HEIGHT"

Well said , meaningful and full of truth...

Here is another:
If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of a man become in it's long journey towards the stars?

Here is another:
There isn't any map on the road to success; You have to find your way...

These lines must have some meaning to all my nephews and nieces whom I had been following all through the years, and my family (The Corpuzes and Amoyens) as we sprung from the black earth into what we are now. We all have our dreams while growing up and from a big family , there is just so much we can do. We were so poor. The only things that keep us going are our hopes and aspirations. We inherited some brains from our poor parents and we used it to achieve, at least enough to get us out of a pit. The next generation had done better and are doing better as the years go by. Meanwhile, I would say most of these nieces and nephews are scattered now at some parts of the globe. I'm happy for all of them.

Need a Break

2008-01-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

Life is not so bad after all. My life here in the U.S. had always been work , walk, travel and eating healthy. Yes, nineteen years living here had been fruitful I would say. Who would have guessed that I could see places and I mean about 16 countries and more within those years. Hard work and dedication always pays up . Life goes on and as they say, every ending is a new beginning. I'm not a writer but we all have at least some ways to express ourselves. As we grow older, we should have gathered memories which are worth saving and be left behind as we travel towards the unknown.
I grew up poor in a small barrio in the Philippines. My father was a Miner, my mom is just a housekeeper. How the seven of us kids had survived, to me, is a miracle. That little town of Sudipen had been the only place we knew until we finished our grade school. Surviving is not easy but with good relatives and teachers to inspire us to keep going, we were able to go further than we expected.Yes, those were good teachers who gave us at least fair treatment in our growing up years (despite being known as the poorest family in Sudipen at that time}"Isang kahig, Isang tuka" as they say.
The Ragojos had given all they can to make us learn all the basics gave us the due respect we deserve as topnotch in their classes. Miss Lourdes Ragojo! She was the best. She was gone now and never had the chance to thank her formally. Mrs Paciencia R.Garces, her speeches as the Principal keeps ringing in my ears. Mrs Josefa L. Pang-ot (may she rest in peace)had been my fourth grade teacher. Miss Milagros Macusi, Miss Nieves Ragojo, Mrs. Dolores Belisoa and Mr. Segundino Jaramilla
my sixth grade teacher. He is now in Sacramento, CA and haven't heard from him yet until now. Old Sudipen Elementary School had been the foundation of a lot of Successful kids in Nagpanawan.Hurray to all of them and the Teachers.
I can look back with pride and wonder how that naive little girl had survived all the challenges of time and landed in OR like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ.
Anyway, This draft had been written long time ago and didn't have the chance to edit it. There are moments in our lives when when we just want to go back and revisit the past and realize how valuable the past is to be able to connect to the present and the future. Someday, I'll find pictures of these teachers to post here.

Bye -2007: Welcome 2008!

2007-12-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a year for the Amoyen Clan. Something we have to remember all our lives, footsteps of our Old Folks has to be our guiding light for the future . At least Four of the Amoyens had joined all the rest of the Folks who had gone before them this year 2007. Must be a happy reunion for them somewhere in LIfe Eternal.
1. My Mom at the age of 93 decided to join our Dad last April, 2007.A great loss for the seven siblings(at least 6 after Romeo who died at the age of 33). The best Mother one ever had. The Model of patience, perseverance,tolerance, like a silent water that runs deep, her songs unsung but well preserved in the crevices of rocks in Sudipen.
2. Manong Rogelio who was the eldest of Uncle Anton , decided also to join his Dad in May. Uncle Anton passed away a year before. I remembered him as always a happy man full of jokes to cheer you up. My Uncle Anton had always been the soft spoken,kind and gentle with smiling eyes just like all his siblings.
3. Auntie Conching could not wait any longer either. After the painful news about his son, she felt cheated thinking that she should go ahead of him. She stayed behind a little longer but eventually gave up. She bade farewell to everyone after a long agony of kidney treatment,dialysis and all that. She had been a very tough Lady to go through all these processes. She hang in there for quite a while ,enough to see some grandkids graduate in college . She tried so hard to unify the family with her good values and sweet smile, a Motherly Figure to everyone.
4. Dec. 16, came the news that another Auntie had died. Auntie Neneng had also joined her beloved as soon as her eldest daughter from MA arrived to Sudipen .Ka Lourdes at least was able to spend some moments with her while alive. Somehow, in times like this, money doesn't seem to matter anymore. We have to do the best we can to prolong the life of our loved one but God has the ultimate decision. We can bargain with Him a little bit more but the die is cast. So long Auntie Neneng. Till we meet again. I had the last chance to kiss her forehead before I left last April.
In addition to all these: other events had been taking place as I had already featured in my AGONY AND THE ECSTACY (blog Sept. 6, 2007)
Yes, there is one more event that needs to be mentioned. Soochi, my sister's dog also passed away in December, just before Christmas which spoiled all here interests during the Holidays. Life as we all know is like a See-Saw.
Despite all these events, we have to deal with all kinds of challenges hoping that the next calendar year , God will open a window for us when he decided to close the door. WELCOME 2008 (The Year of The Rat- Chinese Calendar)
Here are some pictures to commemorate the previous.http://www.flickr.com/photos/beaverolds/

Soochi (Silly Pig) The Dog

2007-12-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Soochi (Silly Pig) in Chinese has lived with my sister in HK since he was a puppy. She had become a part of her life for about thirteen years( 90 in dog years). My sister had loved and spoiled him so much and they always had been too close. Great relationship, I would say . She leaves him at home in the morning all alone and what would Silly Pig do when alone? Perhaps just sleeps to kill the time until she comes home at night. They had fun times together walking and playing in the park. They had always been together except for few times when my sister has to take some weeks off and she would ask some close friends or relatives to take care of her. She spent so much for him when he gets sick and make sure that he will never go hungry. He gave her all the comforts that she needed, that unconditional love that no human will ever be able to match. My sister joined us on a trip to Europe for 2 weeks and she brought his live picture with her in her cell phone to show us and talks about how she missed him so much.
During those times when her husband had decided to live in China living her to shoulder all the responsibilities at home, Soochi had been her only comfort and a reason for her to keep going.

But good times never last. I got this text a few days ago. Her Soochi had joined the angels in heaven. She was told that Soochi might not last very long. His heartbeat was weak, slow and soft. Hoping that the he was misdiagnosed, she rushed him to a better Doctor in a Taxi. My sister couldn't explain the scared look in Soochi's eyes. Only later did she realize that he had a phobia of a Taxi. He died on her lap on the way to the Hospital. My sister got devastated. She wished that she hadn't used a taxi. Would it had made any difference thinking that he was already too old and too weak? Would he have lived a little longer considering the situation he was in if he didn't get into a taxi? Only God knows. My sister felt so guilty thinking that she had shortened his life. Well, what can I say. Things like these are beyond our control. We better face the realities in life, My Dear Sister. Soochi is resting now but his memories will live forever.
Here he is. He is cool , ain't he? Your Mom loves you Soochi...

BEING MORE AGGRESSIVE

2007-11-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we got to wonder why we can't get ahead in life. Having been here in the U.S. for about seventeen years, I should have learned enough about their aggressive way of life by now. However, I missed a lot of opportunities for not speaking out. Just thinking what one should have done instead of doing it with the best timing or at the right time may cause you a lot of stress and frustrations which are unnecessary.
I had worked hard all my life and for some reason, it had developed my skills, attitudes and polished my personality. My job requires a lot of tolerance,pleasant attitude and perseverance. We call this the First Class Customer Service. We have to follow at least seven attributes: Greet, Knowledge, Sample,Suggestive selling, Bring to the place,Make Customer feel good, Thanks a Customer and give the parting word(have a nice Day etc.) Got to do this to every customer that approaches the counter. ( You may call it ass kissing if you want) but this way of treating our customers works and invites more people to your store for the good experience that they had. It took me some time to be able to say Hi, How are you doing?, How may I help you today? Would you like to try our new product? This is one of our best seller. Thank you very much. Have a nice Day. Well, I had earned this certificate just by getting 10 points consecutively for 5 times. I'm proud of myself ! Yes,work had been my exercise daily. (must have been the secret of looking younger than my age).
However, keeping everything to oneself without telling somebody how you feel about things won't get you anywhere. One has to be frank and this freedom to express oneself is one thing that I have to get used to. Take this for instance I was feeling bad because most of my co-workers were working on a Holiday( 1 1/2 pay per hour). I had told my Boss already that I could work all through the Holidays but somehow, every time, I always found my name out of the list! I really can not accept the fact and feel like I was unfairly treated. She is a very accommodating Lady, so I went up to her and said at point blank that I wanted to work that day after torturing myself the previous night.(Foolish me, because instead of just taking a rest day, I pushed myself because one thing I hate is being treated unfairly. She then put me in and it turned out , those scheduled were not able to make it. Most of them got sick. (one came with a fever, the other started throwing up and another lost her voice-laryngitis) So what did we end up with? Just 3 people on a busy day! What can I say. My Boss must have been very thankful that I insisted working on that Day. This wasn't the first time but being always just the humble me, COURAGE is what I should have all the time. Funny and maybe even a silly confession but it feels good to have said it all. Ha, ha ha...

2007-11-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Let's try this again! Well Folks, I keep trying to post these colorful Fall pictures but they become too big and it takes a long time to upload them. Somehow I might have touched a button that enlarged them and there it goes, it takes forever to upload one. Let's try them again. Please lend me a hand if it still does the same:

There you go Folks, I had it all saved for you ! In two weeks time all the colors are gone and we have to welcome Mr. Gray Winter but sometimes Mr White Snow comes to visit. I can post more of these colorful Fall Pictures next time. I have to run to my Job...Take Care Everyone!

Keeping the Past Alive

2007-10-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

When does life begin and when does it end? Some scientists were asked this baffling question and they have different views about it. What must be the longest span of life ?
1." Life begins from Womb to Tomb..."
2. Another said " It must be from Germ to Worm"
3. Someone seems to be a great thinker and said "Won't it be from Erection to Resurrection ?"
4. It could also be" From Dust to Ash?'

It's a joke that I picked up somewhere but it's a fact of life.

Sometimes, when pains and sorrows over the lose of someone hits us, we ponder over such questions: Why is life so short for some and so long for others? Should we who were left behind be sad that our loved ones went ahead of us or should we just say, "Till we meet again?" I always like the idea that we are just passing through and that one day, we will all be reunited in that special place where there is no sorrow, no pains and free from all the worldly sufferings and problems. We were born for a reason and once we had done our mission, we need to go and let those left behind continue the unfinished task, follow the footsteps or make better what was thought to be the best project done by those who were ahead of us. In short, Life goes on.
Memories of our loved ones should stay, kept alive as the cycle goes on.
One of our Auntie had died recently in San Francisco. She was the wife of my Mother's brother, Uncle Anton who also passed away last year also of prostate cancer. Auntie Conching had been on dialysis for also at least 3 years. She had suffered enough.Just like my Mother,who died only last April this year, both said that they had enough and it's time to rest. They all had gone through tough times and it's best for us to just let them go. Just a month after my Mom died, Ka Roger, their eldest in Frisco also died of heart failure. What they thought to be just a short visit to the hospital for a pacemaker check-up, turned up to be the fatal end. Auntie Conching was devastated. My greatest sympathy to my cousins who have to bear the lose of a Father, a Mother, an Eldest Brother and also an in-Law who also died in Baguio, also of prostate cancer all in two years time. Folks, we will see them again in the Afterlife. I found some pictures that might keep us all posted of the loved ones who had all gone before us.

We are just travellers on Earth

2007-09-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, as long as we live we are into this long journey to Eternity. Death, pains, challenging problems we thought we can't bear have toughened us sometimes turning us into robots but at other times, when we were able to overcome some of it, leaves us the best feelling, exultant and even victorious. Aha, I'm still alive and breathing after all! Sometimes we never can imagine how much we can handle such turmoil in our life, how our brain could stretch and won't easily snap if we hang in there and keep praying for a deliverance. We often doubt the existence of the Superpower (like Mother Teresa) but but somehow, one can feel the invisible comforts of a hand leading us in the right direction. Yes! I firmly believe there is a GOD.
Things happened that I never could explain:
1. A store that we operated for 5 years with only 5 days a year off. Three days before we close it for good, nobody had any interest to buy, we have to give up everything. We were booked to fly to Europe in three days and so determined to get out with nothing, all bids had failed. Why won't I call this a Miracle? Out of the blue a buyer for our Yogurt Equipment came by, my husband offered him the whole store and he made the decission to buy it right there. If he is not a Godsend, I don't know who he is. In three days we were up in the air for London.
2. In one of our trips to Greece, my husband got very sick, might be a food poisoning. He was basically saying goodbye to me, he couldn't get up, pale, vomitting and all that for 2 days. How can an amateur traveller like me go ask for help in a strange place speaking strange tongue? Again, if you believe in prayer, Someone out there will answer. The next third day, he was up and out there waiting for his ride for a brief photography adventure in IOA . One of those scenic spot in Greece, at one corner of the Island of Santorini. But then, it was my turn to get knocked out for eating too much of that oily Greek Salad.
3. We hopped into the wrong train, from Florence to Rome. Instead of getting into the express, we hit this slow moving train that goes from town to town in Tuscany and getting to Rome we don't know when. Oh, we should have enjoyed the beautiful sights but somehow, getting late for our connecting flight to Greece had spoiled it all. We will surely be late and the hasssle of finding another flight and thinking of the uncertainties, is more frustrating . My niece, my hubby and I were all quiet, I know for sure that we were all praying for a miracle. We reached D'Vinci Airport two hours late. We were done, we have to make phone calls to Greece, find a new flight, reached there late at night, reservations screwed up and all that. But, a lady popped out at the counter where we were supposed to check in and announced some delays due to thick fog. On a clear day? This is it, we were not left behind after all. Am I to just say, it's an unexplained phenomenon? No! It's a MIRACLE.
Better believe it Folks.
God will always have Three Answers though. You WAIT; This is NOT FOR YOU; and YES ! Get it?
Okay, more pictures here:

The Agony and the Ecstacy

2007-09-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Life is full of surprises . Some pleasant while others could hit us right in the gut that we hardly have time to react. It could be chains of events that for some unexplained reasons the pain was so intense that we even question the existence of God. If we don't cling to our Faith in Him, we feel so alone, deserted and forgotten. Why should bad things happen to good people? My niece's hubby is such a good man. Things just started to go well for them. My niece finished her Nursing course and proceeded to take up Law while waiting for the opportunity to get hired as a nurse here in America. She met her husband in that same Law School and fell in Love. Both were well-motivated and determined to reach their goal- to be real practicing Lawyers and soon enough came the Big News! Both passed the BAR in flying colors. They got married and at the same time had thieir "Blow- Out" (Term Filipinos use when they celebrate their success).
However, they found out how hard it is to start a life with no financial foundation, so my niece got more adventurous and again pursued her application to come as a Nurse to the U.S. Luck had always followed them since the immigration approved granting the spouse also that same immigrant visa. God has been very good to those who believe in Him. Of course, like every beginner, one has to always start from scratch and work his/her way up. They were young and determined to make it here in the U.S. and in 3 years, they had purchased a car, a house and had a beautiful and smart daughter. What else can anybody ask for? They have been helping a lot of people, too. She takes double jobs while he was able to work in a law firm in Fort Myers.
Just recently, though, just out of the blue, he was diagnosed with AV Malformation. (Google this term for an explanation). What a shocker this was to my niece. Why should this happen to a good husband? Who can explain why? My niece was devastated and inconsolable but being a brave and courageous girl that she has always been, she has to rationalize and accept the inevitable. He is now under treatment and will soon have to face this decision of having that culprit removed. What an agony this must be. Everybody who loves them are praying fervently for the success of the process that will soon be performed on him. Hang in there Guys. God is listening. Let's all hope for the best.

On the other hand, the youngest of my nieces(daughter of my 3rd brother) had decided to get married this same month. She had been living with her sister for about two years now, when she met her American B.F. They had been planning this marriage for quite a long time, a year at the most despite some protestations from the family since the timing was not right or it's too soon,or some question even of religious affiliation and all that. Well, this B.F. had joined the Military and had been in training for a year now. He is about to be deployed to Iraq and this is his only chance now to get a vacation. For people in love, they could move mountains. The parents are too far away, her sister she had been living with had this heavy load on her shoulder. What a mess it must be but they all are trying all their best to be understanding with each other facing two sides of the coin at the same time. These are well-educated kids who have been raised with the best values ever by their parents but somehow, they have to face this crossroads of their lives . We wish we can be there to help them but we are on the other side of the moon although in the same continent. We had our own plans made before we were informed . They are doing all they can to finalize everything with the help of one of their good sisters, who came flying from the Philippines in the midst of her review for her medical exam. It's kind of nostalgic to think that those babies some years ago are now grown ups and can do things on their own, even going into matrimony without their parents, very unusual for us Filipinos who take marriages as a big celebration where all relatives on both sides are invited.
CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES! Thus the Ecstacy of life.

Miscellaneous

2007-08-01T21:43:00.001-07:00

What can one do after working so hard for some days and was given a 2 days off ? The heart seems to stop beating and the brain could hardly function normally. Anyway, there is always a way to escape from this monotony by viewing some travel pictures and imagine that you are there again lost in the crowd with so many tourists around trying to get into crowded places like these shots in Barcelona.One has to be there to really see the famous works of Mr. Antony Gaudi whom they called the Architect Of God with his well-known SAGRADA FAMILIA which keeps expanding with the help of contributions from people who love art and his plan is to be completed only by 2026 ( I hope I'm still alive to witness the completed plan), CASA MILA, with it's curling staircases braced with cut pieces of iron and when one reaches the top, the view was so spectacular : cemented characters decorated with broken pieces of multi-colored glasses, the famous CASA BATLO which sparkles as the sun hits it at sunrise and at sunset. Just roaming at the PARK GUELL , sit at its wavy multi-colored seats : all from broken pieces of ceramics all put together to form different figures (mosaic). It is quite ingenious how he designed all these. The park was so packed with people that posing for a picture is almost impossible. O, well, I got some anyway, and here they are...These could cheer me up when I am tired and down. I wish you Folks were there with us.

Past revisited

2007-07-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

It seems like it was only yesterday, we were young and energetic, pretty and full of life, inspiring young kids and giving them our best shots as teachers in this popular Catholic school in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur known as St. Augustine's school. Teachers then , during our time were respected and were very much trusted as the second parents of those kids. It was a good feeling to be a part of their growing years and even better if we cross path again with these kids , now as adults and successful, some are now Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Accountants, and Engineers and other careers but still kept their values and great respect for their mentors.
Yes, simply looking at these old pictures of our Faculty Members makes us realize how lucky we are to be still alive and still continuing our mission, if not in the teaching profession any more, since we had chosen another path of life, in some other ways where we can still help other people fulfill their ambitions to be able to live comfortably in this highly competitive world. We may grow old and soon die like all the others in our group but we are determined to leave behind some good memories or remembrances for those who follow our footsteps. Life is just a journey to the next, believe me.
Here are some passages that I had collected over the years:
1. God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn't care who gets the credit.
2. If your life is really in mess...remember this... stress can be the start of real success.
3. God inspires us to become better persons not bitter ones; shows that negative can be turned into positive; a minus into a plus and that 's what the cross is all about.
4. The fruit of the righteous is the tree of life and he who wins soul is wise.
5.God does comfort good people when bad things happen to them. It is possible to be happy even in a world where sorrow casts its long gray shadow.

Fatima - Portugal

2007-06-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

On May 13, 1917, three children were pasturing their little flock in Cova da Iria, parish of Fatima, town of Vila Nova de Ourem, today the diocese of Leiria-Fatima. They were called: Lucia de Jesus,aged 10,and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto,aged 9 and 7.
After praying the Rosary,as was their custom, they were amusing themselves building a little house of stones scattered around the place where the Basilica now stands. Suddenly they saw a brillaiant light, and thinking it to be lightning, they decided to go home. But as they went down the slope, another flash lit up the place, and they saw on the top of a holmoak (where the Chapel of Apparitions now stands)" a Lady more brilliant as the sun" ,from whose hands hung a white rosary.
The Lady told the three little shepherds that it was necessary to pray much and she invited them to return to the Cova da Iria during five consecutive months on the 13th day at that hour. The children did so and on the 13th day of June, July and Septemer and October, the Lady appeared to them again and spoke to them in the Cova da Iria. On the 19th of August, the apparition took place in Valinhos, about 500 meters away from Aljustrel, because on the 13th the children had been carried off by the local Administrator to Vila Nova de Ourem.
At the last apparition, on October 13, with about 70,000 present, the Lady said to them that she was the "Lady of the Rosary" and that a chapel was to be built there in her honour. After the apparittion all present witnessed the miracle promised to the three children in July and September: the sun resembling a silver disc, could be gazed at without difficulty, and whirling on itself like whelle of fire, it seemed about to fall uopn the earth.
Afterwards, when Lucia was a Religious Sister of Saint Dorothy, Our Lady appeared to her again in Spain(Dec. 10 1925 and Feb. 15 1926 in the convent of Pontevedra, and on the night of 13/14 June, 1929, in the Convent of Tuy), requesting the devotion of the five first Saturdays( to pray the Rosary, meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, confess and receive Holy Communion, in reparation for the sins committed aginst the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, This request had been announced by the apparition on July 13, 1917, in what is called "The Secret Of Fatima"
Since 1917 pilgrims have not ceased to come to the Cova da Iria in thousands upon thousands from all parts of the world. At first on the 13th of each month, later, during the summer and winter holidays and now more and more at weekends and any day all year round.
(This documentary was lifted from a pamphlet from Fatima)

2007-06-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Working Hard

2007-06-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why people have to work so hard. Is it because we want to make more money, to just get away from home, to save some for the future, to help others who don't have the chance to be where we are or to be able to live comfortably like owning a house, a car, send kids to school, or just to have some spending money to travel; or is it just to stretch all those muscles just to delay the aging process? Whatever our reasons are, we have to work to give more meaning to our existence in this world. It maybe relaxing sometimes but stressful most of the time. I feel like I had accomplished something when I get home tired and just hit the bed. However, it may also make you brain dead. But it shouldn't ! Instead it should keep the thinking power more alert and sharper.
It seems like all my life, I had always been working hard. What do I get from it? I was able to help other people, give some financial assistance to my sister, give gifts to those people whom I love and just have the freedom to spend and buy what I needed and enjoy most .
Living in a foreign country isn't all a bed of roses but the chance to earn more and have the opportunity to to see places is the best part of living. Never in my life had I dreamed of seeing America and being able to travel to Europe not only once but several times- it was beyond my wildest dreams. It's an adventure that I will never forget and had changed my views about the world. If I have to keep talking about travels, maybe it's because it had enlightened me about the past that connected us to the present and maybe help us foresee our future. In so many ways, we also learn some lessons. We visited a museum merely showing bones constructed into flowers , chandeliers, fences and so many interesting figures. This was in Rome-The Crypt Of The Capuchins. The message is clear: Death closes the Gates of Time, and opens those of Eternity. I also read the sign that says "Where You Are, We Had Been, Where We Are , You Will Be!" It was creepy to get in there but it reminds us of our own mortality. Death may end all our adventures in life but we must at least spend it to the fullest. Well said and done. Therefore we have to keep travelling!!!

Got to see it all

2007-06-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Fly to Paris on a Sunday and you will see the Louvre FREE!
Just keep roaming around and youwill come eye to eye with the Eiffel Tower. Just take a guess about all these photos. Eiffel Tower, The Thinker By Rodin, Napoleon's Tomb, or the Dancing Statue of Verginia. Great painting of Monet and that impressionist called Manet, get it?

2007-06-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Great Shots

2007-06-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to post some of my professional photos when this blog started to freak out. Any way, I have to keep trying. The first was taken at a Jewish Memorial in Paris (each light represents a French Jew deported to the concentration camps).Next that great church is well known in Paris as Notre Dame Cathedral.
Everybody should be able to recognize this wild-eyed Guy.
Entering photos from Portugal- the Famous Fatima Basilica where the apparitions occured . We hoped for a miracle when we visited the place. True enough, we had great weather all the way.

More on Travels

2007-06-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I would rather start from Paris, where George (my Hubby) and I met my sister Verginia at CDG Airport. I think it has been 5 years since I last saw her and she still looked almost the same. She might have aged a little bit, otherwise we both had matured much. I know that she was just as happy as I was as you can see in her pictures.
She then tried to place herself on a pedestal at the Palais Royal and posed like a statue so she will be remembered in Paris as the misplaced model.
Then at the Louvre, she posed with the "Three Graces." She would like to be a part of every highlight so will never fortget this trip of a lifetime.

Reaching Out

2007-06-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

She had been my student in SAS, Tagudin. I must have influenced her somehow when she was a young girl because she remembered me until now. She now lives in Canada, married to a French Canadian with two young boys. I got to talking to her this afternoon and to my surprise, she was with one of our co-teachers too, at SAS. How they met is quite a story! For so many years, this student of mine has been seeing a lady with familiar face traveling from her home to her job. She thought she met this lady before but not sure if she still remembers her. One day, she gathered all her courage to introduce herself to her and to her surprise, she responded. She had also been her teacher in Math in Tagudin ! A small world indeed . Who could guess that from a land yonder, two friends had been bumping each other and did not have the chance until lately to get reacquainted ? This reunion however has brought them closer together and since then, they are inseparable . Loneliness often brings people together and reaching out is the key to ease that burden. They both learned that living in a foreign land is not that easy. One has to exert efforts to be able to make it . They were there for at least 19 years and now own houses and are married to loving husbands . Cris has to work 3 jobs to live comfortably and Mary Ann has to upgrade her education to get a more decent job. Such is the life of our fellow Filipinos abroad . They are known to be adaptable, dependable, hard workers with goals to attain and are full of determination . I heard a lot of comments that they are the best wives too !

Fooling Around

2007-05-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

I had seen her happy and perhaps happier also wherever she is now. She really loves that old rocking chair made by my Dad when he was alive.

I have this one day break from work today and been fooling around with this blog. I have so many things in my mind to write down but it's quite hard to focus on just one. I want to talk about my Mom but refreshing all her memories are quite painful. Since she passed away, I feel as though something in me got booted out. I seem to feel like I'm on my own now and that I should do my best to learn how to live alone without consulting anybody anymore. She used to be my counselor and even though we are far apart, she seems to be always at my back before coaching me to do whatever is the right thing. I always have this impulsive nature but whenever her face shows up, her calmness when faced with such dilemna in life , it makes me think twice before I make my moves. She never said much but her actions and the way she had lived that long life had taught me more than words could say. Patience, tolerance, forgiving, selflessness and a will to susrvive during the most difficult situations in life. Just looking at her picture here when she was the happiest with her great grand kids ( Johan and KendrIx and those pretty daughters of Jones) are reminders that she did have a fulfilled life.

Copenhagen

2007-05-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

This was our last stop during our last trip to Europe and we had such an experience there. We were coming from Poland and we didn't really know what to expect. This was my first time in this city. It was so calm as our plane touched down. We immediately took this train to go to our Hotel and planned to take a rest. It was a small room but comfortable one but this was the first ever that we had which didn't even have a sink in the room. Ah, we thought , since this is our last stop and we will only be there for 3 nights , we can handle this. It is called Hotel Loeven. It has a bathroom down the hall to be shared by 3 rooms. Oh well, just one last step before going home to our Mansion anyway, so who cares.
We were so hungry , so we decided to get out to find McDonalds but it started to get dark and in a few seconds the rain start to pour, the wind started blowing hard and it got worse. All we had is a thin Poncho but the wind started blasting as the rain changed from vertical to a horizontal position. Along the way, though, people had been biking unmindful of that weather. They might be used to it. After eating , the weather had changed radically into a calm and even a sunny afternoon. Then I knew, I was in Copenhagen where the the forecast is not available at that time of the year. We were kind of frustrated thinking that this might be the worst part of the trip but we were surprised to find out that the next two days had been nice but very cold. Thus this picture here:
We had a good time since we were ready for this kind of weather. From all the places we had been, this was the coldest but we were glad that we came. It's a very busy city with a lot of activities going on but an easy one to navigate on foot.

Greenhorn

2007-05-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

I had been trying to develop some skill in using this blog thing and I found out that I have alot to learn. Oh , well, everybody has to start somewhere . Okay, I finally got it and I hope this will give me a good start.
Two days ago, i got this Text from my cousin Lourdes in MA telling me that one of our cousins in Frisco died. This is more sad news considering the fact that I just came back from the funeral of my Mom May 5 of this year. Does this grieving ever stop here? I hope so. However, we have to accept the realities of life. Our generation is aging and we cannot live forever. My cousin was in his mid sixties and having worked hard to be able to make it here in America, somehow, healthy eating might not have been a priority or it's possible that he tried to enjoy a life that he never had back in the Phil. and overdid it, or it's just the wear and tear of the abused human body, who knows? I need some enlightenment from my cousins there in San Francisco. To think that Auntie Conching, his Mom, despite all the pains that she is enduring for her dialysis, is holding on for about 2 years now. She is outliving a lot of people her age and now even her own son. She was devastated to learn that her eldest son has to go ahead of her. Pretty sad indeed but who are we to question the plans of God for each and everyone of us? Life is full of mysteries and all we can do is leave everything in the hands of the Lord. We just hope and pray that we have enough strength, hope and courage to go through it all. Mean while, life goes on for the living. It may not be the best of life but it is a privilege to be alive and kicking while others are moving on to the next life, hoping that really there is one, and one day, we will all be united again. All we need is HOPE AND STRONGER FAITH in the Almighty. Amen

Life's Adventure

2007-05-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Travel, see places, learn new cultures, come face to face with the greatest works of arts. This is one's life adventure. For example, this image of langeline in Copenhagen. It looks simply a staue on the shore but dig through the books and it says something about Hans Christian Anderson. You can start in Paris, what you need to see is the famous Eifel Tower: and many more; to Lisbon,Portugal and a side trip to Fatima: move on to Barcelona with it's famous Sagrada Familia. I have to stop here for now although I wish I can finish the whole story,time and space won't allow me to. Travelling teaches us a lot of lessons by actually being there to see and feel the atmosphere of every place. I might not be a good writer butexpressing ourselves through pictures is good enough isn't it? I might be new in this blogger but I'll get better...

SADNESS WITHIN

2007-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

We take life for granted until we see our loved ones falling one by one. Then we realize how precious that life is. Nothing can describe the pain that each of us experiences as we feel the loss of our parents, relatives (young and old) and that feeling lingers specially in the silence of the night. We start asking ourselves if we had done enough for them, what kind of legacy did they leave us? It is consoling though, to think that their spirit must still be around guiding us and protecting us in anyway they can.
My Mom just died recently and she was 93 yrs. old this June 28. She had a long life but somehow, I feel that it should have been longer had we not neglected some of her needs like medical check-ups and all that. Since she kept all her pains to herself, she never showed it nor bothered us about it until it's too late. She had a busy life as she struggled to keep her 7 kids alive. She was born in 1914 in that quiet little town of Sudipen, long before WWII. She belonged to a big family herself (Pio, Ingga, Carlos, Bebing, Anton, Juaning ,Vicente) This excluded those 2 Ladies who died at a younger age, Felomena and the wife of Lakay Inso. It's amazing how we can trace our Family Tree and how robust that tree had become, how it branched out into smaller twigs , such big branches becoming sturdier than the roots. Yes, she was from a big family indeed and came from a big clan whose parents had been big landowners back then. Intermarriages between rich people was the style at that time just to expand more land wealth. The wider your ricefields, the more powerful you were. My Mom had been matched with a man in Banayoyo whose parents owned big lands (over in the northern Ilocos) but she refused the offer. Instead she went her way to find someone she could love for life, my Dad who was just a miner then in Baguio City. I would describe her as always rebellious and a non-conformist by character although her upbringing didn't allow her to be outspoken and demonstrative. She did things in her own way, eloped with a man , a strange you may say and followed her heart . She had loved unconditionally, sacrificed everything and didn't care if she bowed her head in surrender after finding out how hard life is raising seven kids (9 including one aborted and another who died during the Japanese regime). She had the best values I can ever remember. She once dreamed of finishing College, enrolled at A Normal School in Baguio (now St. Vincent's High School where my sister-in-law Julie now is Asst. Principal). She wanted to be a Nurse but this negativity about women spending that money for education wasn't accepted at that time, thus she gave up and simply became a small sari-sari store keeper. I may continue about her lovelife some other time but I shouldmention the values that she had imparted to me.
I. It's better honor to be known as POOR than to be branded as a THIEF.
2. Education is the best inheritance ever that you can give to your kids since that wealth is in your head and no one can take it away from you, unlike material things.
3. If you do a certain crime, you must do the time.
4. Simplicity is Beauty.
5. Be firm in your decisions and if you make mistakes and fail, you have to get-up with dignity and with your head held high, continue doing the right thing. One can't correct what was wrong by doing another wrong thing.
There are so many values that I learned from my Mom while growing up and it had molded me to what I am. She is a silent water that runs deep, a Lady whom I never forget: for me, SHE IS A SAINT!