New Exiles?

How difficult could it be to be far away from one's first home? Very.

I say it now, thinking back to the days when I first moved to Jersey City, more than twenty years ago.

To so many Filipinos living outside the Philippines, and nestled, I hope, comfortably, in one of the countless nations of the world, being away from home is always a heart breaker.

Your first few days away from home are zombie-like days; you wake up, you do the daily drill, you go to bed, you think of your loved ones back home, you cry, you wake up, you do the daily drill, etc.

As you weave your way and start to work, you'd discover a very different work culture from what you used to know. If you enter a country as an immigrant, looking for your first job could be daunting. If you're on a work permit, thinking of how to pay the money you paid to the recruiter or agency becomes your number one priority.

First, you have to get your social insurance number, and if you're in Canada, you have to get your PRC card, then you open a bank account, get your driver's license, get your health card,
apply for a telephone or get a cell phone, get the kids enrolled at school if you have any, find an apartment.

If you are living with relatives, it is easier; right away, you've got a social safety net. Relatives could guide you through all the process I've mentioned. Plus, there's the added comfort of not having to worry about paying a first month rent.

When I ventured into New Jersey, coming from several months' stay in sleepy, mid-west Ohio, I was pumped. I got the blood and energy flowing into every smallest vein of my body.

On my third day in Jersey, I bought the New York Daily News, looked up the ads, asked my housemates how to take the subway, and walked the streets of Manhattan. I had no idea how far apart the avenues were in Manhattan, and on the way back home at the subway, I took off my leather shoes as my feet got so sore.

That's many eons ago. I got my first job within a week in Jersey; it was a temp job in a government agency (all New Yorkers start with a temp job). Then I got a permanent job after about two months.

When I travelled to Europe several months ago, our small group of Filipinos saw and met Filipinos in most of the places we visited.

In Madrid, while lunching at a mall, there was this Filipino couple who walked by and spoke with us, who'd been in the city for 35 years. In Portugal, while on a free time, I talked to two Filipinas who'd been there several years and who were thinking of transferring to Spain.

Then at the Fatima, there was a group of travelling Filipinos from the U.K. In Paris, the maitre d' in our hotel was a lovely Filipina, married to a French and who'd been there for some fifteen years. At the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, I saw two groups of Filipino travellers who were scheduled to visit that week.

It seemed that everywhere we went, there was a Pinoy in the midst. It was really nice seeing a Pinoy anytime.

While still working at Skills for Change, an agency which helps new immigrants to Canada, I would often ask the Filipino clients why they left the Philippines. The answer had always been the same: economic - to seek better opportunities.

Canada is a welcoming country. The health care is superb; the transit system, efficient; and a lot of support systems and infrastructures exist.

To those thinking of coming to Canada, or to other countries, my five-cent worth of advise is:
research the country where you're headed to.

If you're going as an independent immigrant, find out how you can practise your profession or trade - its licensing requirements, and the technology needed for it (e.g. for accountants, what accounting software you should know). Search companies in the internet while you're still in Manila.

Get a resume ready. Be prepared for the worst, even if you have relatives ready to welcome you. Bear in mind that you are coming to a new culture - people speak and think differently.

For instance in Toronto, people tend to speak louder. And people are more assertive, direct, affront. Don't be intimidated by these.

Connect with Philippine community agencies; they exist to help Filipino newcomers.

When Pinoys come home to the Philippines for a visit and they act different, it is not because they're yabang; they're just so glad to come home.

For an old sport like me, pining for good 'ol Manila will always be there - tucked away inside the heart. It tugs at you especially during the Holidays, when you're alone, when you're watching a movie or hear a song and a scene or the lyrics reminded you of a place or a person in your old life. Or when you think of the could have beens or might have beens of your life.

I am reminded of an old sermon the late Jaime Cardinal Sin once delivered. I only remember its essence now. He said that Filipinos have become like the Israelites of the old testament - travellers, moving from place to place and becoming exiles.

Knockouts and Re-match

After his sensational knockout win over Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao is now waiting on the sidelines to see who’ll emerge winner in the Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Marquez fight scheduled in July, and then, maybe take whoever will win, or even fight with Miguel Cotto.

In boxing, a knockout is usually awarded when one participant is unable to rise from the canvas within a specified period of time, typically because of fatigue, injury, loss of balance, or unconsciousness.

A TKO, technical knockout, on the other hand, is often declared when the referee or other judges (such as official ring physician, the fighter, or the fighter's cornermen) decide that a fighter cannot continue the match, even though he did not fail the count, or, in many regions, a fighter has been knocked down three times in one round.

A knock out as a slang, means, "s/he's a 10" if you're judging the physical attributes of a man or a woman, as in "she's a knock out" beauty.

Knock yourself out means "feel free to try." Or go ahead, indulge yourself.

Another usage is , to knock it out of someone, which means to take away their energy or enthusiasm.

Or, if you're talking about investing in stocks, a knock out could mean knock- out option, an option with a built in mechanism to expire worthless should a specified price level be exceeded.

Or maybe, in today's investment climate wherein a lot of the stocks plunged in value, a new meaning of knock out could be "rendered worthless."

Back to boxing. If an opponent has been defeated, sometimes a re-match could take place.

In the first Roberto Duran vs. Sugar Ray Leonard fight in Montreal, on June 20, 1980, Duran captured the WBC welterweight title by defeating Leonard via a 15-round unanimous decision. The fight would become known as "The Brawl in Montreal". In the November re-match, however, Durán shockingly quit.

Remember the famous words, “No mas, no mas,” uttered by Roberto Duran. That was a TKO, big time.
For people who've been knocked out before, and are looking for employment, business opportunities, beautiful relationships, or more secured financial investments, the winning phrase could be, "Mas mas mas para mi. " More chances for me please.

Or, " otra oportunidad para mí, por favor." Another chance for me, please.

Family Feud. The Game Show, that is.

Among the dozens or so game shows on TV, I get to watch the Family Feud, occasionally. Now, the show is being hosted by John O'Hurley, he, of the Seinfeld Show (Boss of Elaine), and co-champion in the very first edition of Dancing with the Stars.

I enjoy watching Family Feud, US edition, because the answers could be hilarious at times.

I saw a re-run a while back, in which the two families were asked: "Name four famous people named Jessica."

The top answer was Jessica Simpson, followed by Jessica Alba. Then there was Jessica Biel.

I think, both families missed the fourth famous Jessica. One family answered Jessica Tandy, but it was wrong. The people who were surveyed named Sarah Jessica Parker (of Sex in the City) as the fourth famous Jessica.

There's a Family Feud, Philippine edition, hosted by actor Richard Gomez and which has enjoyed success in the ratings game. Now, if the same question were to be asked in the Philippine franchise, "name four famous people named Jessica, who would you include?"

Maybe Jessica Soho of the GMA News. Or, I'd even say, Jessica Zafra, a fiction writer, a Palanca awardee for her story Portents, and as she describes herself, semi-famous.

Jessica Zafra enjoys a large audience/readership for her blog, newspaper columns and stories. She also co-published two magazines in the mid-90's, Flip and Manila Envelope, and her Twisted Books have been a best-seller. I love reading her work.

Another game show which I enjoy watching is called Password, now hosted by Reggis Philbin. I remember watching the old Password/Clue back home on Uncle Bob's Channel 7, during the 70's.

In Password, two teams, each made up of one celebrity and one contestant, go head to head to guess clues to secret "passwords." One person on each team has the words, and has to use synonyms or related words to help their partner guess the passwords.

The clue-giver and guesser swap roles after each round, and halfway through the game the celebrities swap partners. Each team plays four rounds, guessing up to five words within a 30 second time limit.

Password is a game show which allows viewers to think and to participate. The word-correlation thing is a fantastic mind-exercise, a could-be-deterrent to onset of Alzheimer's.

But my favorite of all game shows is the Jeopardy. Questions can get ultra - tough or give- away, and I watch it also to learn from Alex Trebek the correct pronunciation of hard-to-say words, especially, those French ones.

Frozen in Time

It's late spring time here in Canada. All frozen lakes have thawed, rivers and brooks are flowing, birds are able to sip warmer water again.

But as recently as March, frozen feet were tucked inside woolen blankets and heavy-duty comforters, frozen gas in vehicles made morning drive nut-sy, and frozen mind in minus 20 degree celsius weather caused havoc in one's mid-day work.

A lot of things become frozen, not because of natural precipitation but because of choice, because of accident, because of extraordinary occurences.

Computer freezing is caused by something out of whack in the RAM or anything in the CPU, (that's a common error in any operating systems).

Frozen minds (not the commonplace work slack) is caused by amnesia, or any blunt brain damage or sickness such as a stroke.

Frozen hearts can be caused by traumatic divorces or relationships, rejections or abuse.

A phenomenon that's been taking place and gaining popularity among those with money to spare is the freezing of the sperm and egg cells, for future procreation in the lab dish. It's called in vitro fertilization or frozen embryos.

There are hundreds of sperm banks where any healthy male can contribute their sperms, in return for money, and where healthy and un-healthy females and couples can choose a match, to produce their own child.

Females have taken to freezing their egg or ova, for the same reason - at a later conception. The famous example is the recent Octo Mom, Nadya Suleman, who had frozen embryos in a reproductive clinic and at various stages implanted on her, giving her a total of 14 children.

What about people frozen in time? People who, consciously or sub-consciously, dwell or continue to live in a certain era or certain period of their lives forever.

The Peter Pans who refuse to grow up.

And then, there are those who are just attached to certain trends. It could be in fashion- dressing like the 60's, or the '70s, like Annie Hall with her over-layered clothes, or the man who refuses to part with his fedora; Or could be in choice of music - listening to the oldies of the 50's, of Sinatra, then the Beatlemania of the 60's or the disco music of the 80's.

If I role play that of a pyscho analyst, I would say, frozen in time or freezing time is a romantic ploy to bring back the good times in one's life, to evoke that feeling of a lost love or a happy union, or to stay in an era/period where one had been happiest.

The un-freezing or bringing back to present time can happen just at a moment's notice, oftentimes, provoked by a desire to merge with and live a future.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: I was too young to have danced at the famous cabaret in Manila. Never been there.

Rapid Fire Response

The business of communication, I suspect, has not been touched by the global economic slow down taking place.

Look around. New cellphones are still being launched, cable on demand is hot, internet is glowing with advertisers, people are glued to chatting on line - buying hardware and software - to enhance connectivity, to store data and files, to expand and enlarge one's reach of both business and social opportunities.

The merits and demerits of today's method and blitz of communication are still debatable, except for the power of the Internet to create a wizard - world connected and enhanced by rapid exchange and availability of information, on all subject ranges.

People sign up with social networking sites, email endlessly ( I do, too), text excessively, video chat, talk on the phone, blueberries and iphones their ways to business meetings, social functions, and even, in the midst of a forbidden liaison.

People bank on line, purchase on-line, send gifts on line, make love on line. It's all rapid fire response. Meanwhile, hackers, snoopers, wackos are laughing all the way to the bank.

Rapid fire response. Looks fine. But there are some basic elements that the old fashion, direct communication cannot give.

For instance, deals sealed and business agenda followed-through by company business executives while video conferencing across the globe, lack the warmth of a handshake, and maybe, the missed - emotional IQ- of those on-line deals, could have meant a more humane approach to "third world-first-country company mergers, " or bail-outs.

Or would-be lovers instant messaging each other, video chatting, posting countless photos, or even inventing new personas through Avatar, and zigzagging through other creative ploys to connect, cannot replace the joy of a long, sweet kiss, and the sanity of a direct, simple yes or no reply.

This is today's game. Take it or leave it. Sacrifice one's sanity . Or lose the deal, all together.

Next Step

Our lives are a series of steps. From the tentative baby steps one took as a child. To the zig-zaggy lopes of teen hood, to the measured moves of early adulthood, to the leaps and bounds in marriage and career, and in the maturing years of lives, the graceful glides.

For some , the road where the steps were taken, had been smooth; to others, bumpy, and to others still, unfinished. The steps continue.

In a series of steps, one must learn how to pause and rest. To take a look back and see the foot prints and foot patterns left.

Ahead, a sign may show up - no crossing, caution, beware slippery road, one way only, proceed at your own risk, slow down, end of road, detour, resume speed.

One must take heed of different signs, and take the prescribed step.

Speeding is always dangerous; one may lose control. Slow driving could be a hazard, too, especially down a stretch of highway where one has to merge with those already on the freeway.

Along the steps one takes in a journey, one may strip off excess baggage, start with a clean slate, or add on poundage. Others plod. Others need prodding.

The gut feeling - when faced with deciding moments - should not be ignored. To do so, one could learn later on, may be a big mistake. But if it happens, the walking must continue.

Move on. Take cautioned steps. Take bold steps. Whatever. The important thing to do is to take another step.

Being complacent leads one nowhere. The turtle crossed the finish line, after all.

Starved.

If you're looking for some more veggie goodies, here's my simple recipe for mushroom hors d'oeuvre. I consider it mushroom ukoy, for Filipinos out there.

Ingredients

1 package of Enoki mushroom (cleaned)

3 stalks of green Chinese garlic

1 egg (beaten)

1 tsp corn starch

Olive oil for frying

How to:

Cut mushroom into small pieces. Cut Chinese green garlic into small pieces, as well.

Beat egg. Add corn starch and mix well. Pour into bowl containing mushroom and green garlic.

Mix everything.

Medium heat olive oil in a frying pan.

Scoop several teaspoonfuls of the mushroom-garlic-egg mixture into frying pan. You can line them at the side of the pan, so it would be easy to turn them. Make each scoop into rounded appetizer or ukoy.

Once browned, turn the hors d'oeuvre onto the other side. Then, put into a plate with paper towel or into a strainer to drain excess oil.

Serve in a platter and put either green garlic or lettuce leaf for a pleasing look.

For dip, you can use regular soy sauce (Kikkoman for me) with squeezed lemon, or soy sauce with a little vinegar.

Makes about 30 - 35 pieces.

Bon Apetit!

A Chorus Line

A Chorus Line, the hit Broadway musical of the 70's, is still making waves today. I have not seen this musical and would love to see it. While checking where it's playing, I found out the running schedule at: http://www.achorusline.com/index.php

A Chorus Line is a musical about seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante wrote the book, Edward Kleban wrote the lyrics and Marvin Hamlisch composed the music.

With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. The show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.

The original Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Buffalo, N.Y. native Michael Bennett was an unprecedented box office and critical hit, receiving 12 Tony Award nominations and winning nine of them, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It ran for 6,137 performances, becoming the longest-running production in Broadway history up to that time. It remains the longest running Broadway musical originally produced in the United States, and the fourth longest-running Broadway show ever. The show has enjoyed many successful productions worldwide and was revived on Broadway in 2006.

It played recently at the Shea Stadium in Buffalo, NY from May 5 - May 10. I would have checked it out if I knew earlier. Buffalo is just about 1 1/2 - 2 hours drive from home. The show has an Ottawa performance in October, but that is too far a drive, at least 5 hours.

Then all Canada play dates will be out west.

"We, too. We, too." The two budgies of the house were doing a chorus, as if loving to see the show, too.

Budgies at a Broadway musical? Maybe, when the musical Cats comes back to Toronto.

We should take a walk. In a City within a Park.

I was not planning to take a walk yesterday morning. I posted a mail in the box outside the building, and the early morning spring air breathed in my face, and I could not resist drinking it.

I crossed the street and headed down the long stretch of road called Linkwood where there's a tiny park.

It was about 16 degrees Celsius or 61 Fahrenheit. Wow. I had a golf shirt underneath a light spring jacket, and I had to take off the jacket.

To my right, the view of the Don Valley ravine was just awesome. The trees ahead the road have gotten back their dark green colors, and looking farther down the ravine, I could see the verdant, lush bush, a glimpse of a walking trail, and some of the birds which have come back from their winter break.

I could hear a few of them while walking. Most were in pairs, but some were alone.

I've lived in this part of the city for thirteen years, and have taken walks before, but only this morning, did I notice how beautiful the ravine is and how lovely the singing of the feathered creatures are.

I passed by a woman walking her small dog, and some kids on their way to school.

In all, I walked about 1. 6 kilometers (two ways). The park was still empty at 8 am. But the highway to the right, heading back, was starting to pile up with cars headed to the busy Don Valley Parkway, for downtown Toronto.

I ignored this sight and looked straight ahead where the road was thick with foliage.

This morning, I took the same walk path. I took my camera to snap some pictures.

It was a little cooler than yesterday, but still people were out walking. Spring is beautiful !

POETRY - Pixels in Monitor

Ocean, seas and lake
Mountain, valleys, what more peaks?
Oy, to break one’s heart.

Distance and spaces
Such chasm between bodies,
Close the gap, oh how?

Living in your time,
Moving within your portals,
Pixels, what display!

You're My Angel. A Handyman's Tale.

I'd like to think of myself as Mr. Handyman.

Actually, I'm passable. I can paint a room. I can hang wall paper. I can lay out tiles (wall and floor). I can fix small rust in a car. I can change a tire (while sweating profusely). I can repair minor scratching on wood floors. If cooking is another measure of a handyman's tasks, then, I'm it.

Well, if you live in North America where labour is costly, you have to be a Mr. or Ms. Handy. A fix-it-yourself- er.

Especially nowadays, when there's more companies laying off people, home owners and even renters, rely on themselves to fix trouble spots in the house, or to do minor make-overs.

Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Rona's and now, Lowe's Home Improvement Centres, are every Handyman's friend. You can find anything there, from hardware such as nails and screws, to the large items such as lumber, insulation, paint, wall papers, and even whole decks.

This business of wall papers. The Unit has beige wall paper now; a while ago, it had flower and plant motif. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, there's a very faint greenish wall paper with the slightest hint of yellow flowers.

I also installed these quite fancy mouldings in the living room and dining areas - not wood, but they're made of light, cork-like mouldings which I got at Home Depot.

I read the instruction on how to install mouldings and presto, got the project done. It was not easy; I had to buy the corner moulds, and a special tool for cutting the in-between moulds. But it came out quite... well.

One friend who visited from Michigan commented on how fancy it was. Or maybe, she had just been well-fed.

If you fancy wall papers, I can understand. Paint can become boring. With wall paper, you can spruce up the house quickly - choosing from a wide array of colors and designs which can match your mood.

Now, in the balcony where the birds hang out, the walls are just plainly painted green with some old geometric designs.

The male budgie, Tommy Boy, would once in a while accidentally fly out of his cage. His favorite landing spot is the living room - on the window curtains - thinking it's a soft bed. He loves it so.

Pre-Owned. Way to Recycling Good Stuff.

BELOW - Some of the more than 100 parakeets rescued by animal control officers, shown dozing off at a Cat Animal Shelter in Seattle, Washington.

Creative marketers and entrepreneurs constantly come up with new words to describe old products or services, with the end-view of getting briskier sales.

Yesterday's car for sale was simply called a used car or second-hand car. And those selling them, used car salesmen.

But the people buying second-hand cars somehow did not like the idea of driving a used car. So, savvy marketers came up with a brilliant euphemism: pre-owned car.

Today, there are no more used or second hand products. There are just pre-owned merchandise, or those with second experience, as in a children's used toys and accessories store.

There's also an organization called Second Harvest, a not-for-profit which collects and gathers surplus food from restaurants and hotels and bakeries, and offer them to the homeless people, or bring them to kitchen soups.

There's also a business I've seen with the words "with memories," again, a seller of used products.

In North America, there's a huge market for used clothing, household and office furniture, fixtures, toys, electronics, and a wide array of other products.

That's why Goodwill Stores abound; people donate their unwanted and used items, and other people with a need for them, buy them! Similar stores selling recycled goods are now called Value or Thrift stores.

You also see flea markets, garage and yard sales everywhere you go , especially during summer.

In the Philippines, used clothings end up in the Ukay-Ukay; the merchandise for sale usually coming from the US and Canada.

When I was new in Toronto, Ontario's Blue Sunday law was still in effect; this meant that shops were closed on Sundays. Only drugstores, flea markets and merchandisers located within the tourism areas were allowed to open.

So, people who wanted to shop on Sunday began populating the flea markets. I remember driving as far away as Pickering, about a 30-minute drive from home, just to buy a bike shirt and a lampshade, or to Dr's Flea Market, a 45-minute drive, or even to the Dixie Mall Flea Market in Mississauga, where you had to pay .25 cents to enter the Flea Market.

Then suddenly, the Ontario province realized the need to bring back business on Sundays to spur its economy. Now, shops are open 7 days a week.

If individuals want to energize their flagging relationships or their dating/social networking experience, maybe they can also come up with a strategy similar to what the business enterprises did.

For instance, if re-igniting the flame is the purpose, then the spouses can come up with a "second life," for themselves, just like what the Avatar site has been doing.

A "second life" is the dream-fantasy each spouse would weave; a make-believe world that each spouse can create and live in (live out) and hopefully, one that they can merge and inhabit...together.

Now, for those divorced people who prowl various social networking/dating sites, or who advertise in Personal Ads, instead of Divorce in the status line, maybe the word Pre-Owned can be used.

It's cuter. It signifies experience, wisdom. It shows marketability - someone already committed to him/her before. It gives the image of one having been road tested and has been proven to work once...again.

For Article about rescued parakeets, go to www.seattlepi.com/local/309227_birds28.html

" Are you talking to me?" Communicating with Birds.

LEFT, Tommy Boy does an impression of Robert de Niro, "Are you talking to me?"


The joy in raising canaries is in hearing them sing. Basically, they are song birds.

But surprisingly, only male canaries sing. The females only make an "eeek, eeek" sound, especially when they need something - more seed, water, or if they want attention from the male bird.

I've discovered that female canaries can be very territorial when it comes to their partner, much like humans.

The very first of the canaries, Lucky and her rival Corky, were fighting from start to finish. Once the male bird, Max mated with both, the rivalry got so intense that the two females would be constantly attacking each other, literally like a cockfight. I had to separate them.

But this dislike for each other persisted. As the two cages abutted each other, the two female birds would still fly up and down, perch to perch, wire to wire - in search of the best position to see the other - and be in an attack position, bodies tensed and heads forward.

It was amazing how they remembered each other and the intense dislike they had for each other, in spite of the fact that the entire canary family grew so quickly.

But on the whole, canaries don't want to be touched. When you stick your finger inside the cage, they would all fly to the farthest, the lowest, the highest part of the cage.

This anti-social-ness they compensate by singing. And how they can sing.

If only one canary would be singing, you'd thought there were several. The one who is singing can create several, as if simultaneous sounds. The reason for this, is the male canary has several throats - so he can create different sounds and pitch.

It's like you're listening to a choir - there would be a first, a second and a third voice.

But come summertime, the singing canaries would stop singing. They would regain their singing modes in mid September or for some, even later.

Now, budgies are quite different. If properly trained, these birds can become very sociable, can even talk.

Tommy Boy, for instance is very friendly. When you poke your finger at the slot of the cage, he'd immediately acknowledge you by touching his beak to your finger. Or he would bite it lightly.

He would follow your hand, he would whistle. When the music stops playing, he would call attention by whistling (he has a distinct sound).

When Tommy was alone in his cage, and he got bored, he would be running sideways, left to right, as if getting loco.

Now, that he's with the female budgie, Ugly Betty, Tommy waits for Ugly Betty to become playful with him; Ugly Betty still goes underneath the paper lining, into the bedding.

While the female budgie is snoozing, Tommy Boy would be amusing himself - looking at the mirror as if looking for another female bird, ringing the toy bell (it's his therapy) and doing his side-to-side moves.

Now, if Tommy Boy were able to use a cellphone and knew a number of a possible mate, he'd be racking up bills that would be pages-long.

What's your color? Today is blue.

I didn't know green has been my favourite color until one Christmas when I gifted a brother-in-law with a dress shirt colored white with green stripes and my sister said, "that is your favorite color."

Then, during a barbecue, a relative upon seeing my car commented, "oh, green is your favourite color," to which I innocently asked, "why?" People around me knew but I didn't.

Years before, I thought blue was my favorite color; not that I was conscious of colors. It was just a reflexive answer when people asked me what my favourite color was. As a kid at school, we had a club called Blue Stars. Our neighbourhood was called Blue Water.

When I learned I was inclined to the color green, I was reminded of my father. Our first car was a green and white Pontiac ; years later, he bought a blue Opel Rekord and had it painted green.

While growing up, I lived in a house whose interior was painted green. Our first upholstered furniture was a set of green. The second set was also green.

Nowadays, Human Resource people sometimes use the Color Personality Test to gauge a prospective or a current employee's strengths and limitations.

Personality tests are used to determine your type of personality, your values, interests and your skills. They can be used to simply assess what type of person you are or, more specifically, to determine your aptitude for a certain type of occupation or career.

Personality tests range from the five-minute Color Quiz which is supposed to determine your personality type by the colors you select, to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is one of the top-rated personality tests that helps assess your personality type and helps to explore career options.

There are also a variety of tests that measure your intelligence or aptitude, inventory your skills and assess your ability to succeed in a career. These are the aptitude test, career test, IQ test and the inventories of skills. Take your color personality test at www.colorcode.com. It's free and maybe fun.

Now, when I open my closet, there are more standard whites and blues. The few greens were probably purchased by the subconscious.

Can cats and birds live together? I've got to see this one.

LEFT - Tommy Boy, mugging for the camera.


The budgies in the house have no contact with other creatures, except humans. I plan to bring in a cat or a dog. Could it ruin their routine? Or their life?


Yum yum, said kitty.
Oh, yeah? Tommy Boy replied.

You're my dinner.
You're my delirium.

You're my dessert, then.
You're my desperation.

Then, I'll see you back at breakfast.
No, I'd still be here at lunch.

Kitty claws at Tommy.
Tommy flies a-pronto.

Can you get me up?
I can get down.

Ok, I'll make you dinner.
Kitty rolls around.

Serendipity

I remember watching the movies, Serendipity and A Knight's Tale, while on a plane travelling home to the Philippines.

Both movies tackle the tale of love. In Serendipity, John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale met at a New York department store while buying the same present for their loved ones, and immediately felt an attraction towards each other; but the girl decided to allow fate to take control of their future.

In A Knight's Tale, Ledger's character (William Thatcher) posed as a knight after his Lord died, and joined the "jousting" matches. In the process, he found the girl, Jocelyn, and his good fortune (befriending Edward, the Black Prince of Wales and Geoffrey Chaucer) of finally having a real knighthood bestowed on him. He also found his long lost father.

So, I found myself debating what the Tagalog word for serendipity is. All I could think of is ala suerte, or masuwerteng tadhana, but now, I think both phrases do not capture the true meaning and essence of the word serendipity.

Then this ancient story came back to mind. A story of a young boy who was constantly crying because he thought his father loved his younger brother more than he loved him. Whenever his brother got a toy, little Boy would grab it from him.

One day, after a long family trip, the little boy cried again. This time it was because his kid brother would not give him a piece of candy. He howled and cursed, until his father whipped him with a leather belt.

The little boy cursed even more, and threatened to run away from home. He went up to his room, put several clothes in a blanket, and checked the wound on his stomach which the belt lashing left.

He felt so sorry for himself. He then climbed on the bed's wooden headboard and reached for the bottle of oil kept on an upper cabinet, to soothe his wound.

A candle was burning on the altar beside the bed and as the boy reached higher, his legs quivered and he fell on the altar. When he did, his t-shirt caught fire. It was a new shirt, a gift from his mother.

The candle flame singed the shirt and produced a hole. Terrified, the young boy stood up and saw the icons looking at him from the altar. Somehow, he lost the gall to run away. It was the day after Christmas.

Sometimes when you're not seeking, you find the best.

There were some serendipitous moments in this blogger's life.

And as the days of our lives unfold, I hope there could be more.

Is there a serendipity in your life? Tell me.

Missing Ads - Part 2

BELOW - Isuzu I-Mark - Twin brother of my first born in New Jersey; transplanted to Toronto.

After Manila, at the Big Apple, the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) was still a towering sight. From Jersey's Path Train, it was the daily way to work at the area near the Federal Reserve.

From a streetside deli, a To-go breakfast of bagel with cheese cream and coffee was just $1.00.

Lunches were eaten quickly, either in the office or while walking the sidewalks of NYC; it could be one of those "weighed" combo of Chinese food, fish and chips purchased from a coffee truck parked near a Presbyterian church, or a slice of pizza you sunk your teeth into while sitting on a step or crossing a street.

Wiping relic of lunch from the sides of the mouth, you step into an old Woolworth, or the tiny street boutiques in the Lower downtown area. A move into MidTown afforded more opportunities for better lunching - the area around 87th street - was loaded with a wide array of international cuisine. That early, Thai was already a favorite dish.

If you needed more time digesting food, you travelled from the WTC area to 5th avenue, just to get the real air of NY - to the plush Sak's Fifth Avenue or to confess sins at St. Patrick's.

Near Broadway, you got to see some celebrities; mine was Cagney from Cagney and Lacy and Geraldo.

But you also got to see partly nude personalities, especially on 42nd - "homeless" taking leaks, or those changing wardrobes while warming themselves on make-shift garbage heaters or the "professionals" who'd be on their early evening or early morning, late forays.

Still at the Big Apple was where you first saw women dressed to the nines but wearing sneakers; this, they did because New Yorkers always ran - rides were on muggy subways and walks were on wide avenues.

Though wide, Manhattan's sidewalks, like those in the old Carriedo-Santa Cruz areas - were always packed with pedestrians; walking these NY City's sidewalks was like driving on Manila's streets - it's a bumper-to-bumper experience.

No one drove to work in NYC; parking then, was $10.00 if you could find one.

The small parkette fronting Macy's at 33rd was still a menacing sight - with homeless souls. Now, it's been refurbished, thank God.

Still, New York/New Jersey was where you learned how to read a map - a transit map or the road map. Now, most people rely on a GPS.

I could still use a reliable navigator. Or maybe I should plot the next one.

Missing Ads

LEFT - Ford Escort Brenda, look-alike of my First Baby.


The last time I wrote an ad was....eons ago. I worked in the advertising industry for several years, then left Manila, and never tried writing again.

I had forgotten most of the accounts and people I worked with. Sometimes, images would just flash in my mind. Ayala, Buendia, Boni Avenue.

PCs were unknown then. For presentation purposes, secretaries (admin assistants) typed documents and materials on IBM ball- typewriters; extra copies were made with the aid of carbon papers and errors got corrected using rubber eraser or touch n go.

Most ad agencies didn't have copying machine; if you wanted "Xerox copies,' you had to go to a copying centre.

Then, typewriters with "memory" came along so duplicates could be made.

Account executives carried brown folders and big emery boards containing art work for presentation.

Artists were "cut and pasting." Fonts were limited. Typesetters were making big bucks.

Production people carried audio-visual equipment (tape decks) as huge as a car.

Account executives wore long sleeved shirts and tie, so did the artists.

Copywriters were doing more print and radio than TV and lots of promos; "roadshows" as promo vehicles were still being utilized, though on a downtrend already.

The receptionist was glued to a switchboard; international communication was via telex.

TGIF-evenings were spent at folk houses (Bodega) or discos.

Shakey's Pizza was novelty. Aristocrat at Roxas Boulevard was for late evening or early morning "fried rice with beef or tocino with pickled salad" treat before heading home and after a night of drinking bottles and more bottles of San Mig.

KFC, Magoo's Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, Margaritas, Tequilas, then white wines.

The first Fast Food Court was born in Quad, which was also the pioneer in multiplex movies.

Bold (bomba) movies starred Sarsi Emmanuel, Pepsi Paloma, and Myrna Castillo. Iskul Bukol was quite funny; Penthouse Live on Sundays was lovely - Pops Fernandez was/is sexy.

Halo-halo at the Manila Peninsula was a welcome treat after a hearty lunch. Kimpura, near Rustan's, was the only Japanese Resto around Makati.

Salad bars were starting to become sensational.

Eat-all-you-can was called smorgasboard; there was a Bahia Buffet at the InterCon.

There was a Playboy Club at the Silahis Hotel.

Kowloon was the best siopao in town. International Pancake House served spaghetti and pancakes for lunch.

Casino by the MIA (now NAIA) was a place to go on paydays but you had to have a special pass to get in.

Greenbelt was the only GreenBelt; there was an aviary there and a Via Mare.

The area around InterCon, Rustan's and Rizal Theatre was simply called Makati Commercial, as in " I am going to Makati Commercial."

Makati Supermart was the place for hamburger steak and spaghetti, glossy American magazines and comic books, and full-blast airconditioning.

The eight-seater Jeepneys still plied Ayala and Buendia alongside the stretched 18-seaters.

Then the Love Bus appeared and the Makati crowd was actually forming a line while waiting to board the bus.

There was a beige Ford Escort Brenda. Then a metallic blue Beetle.

Where will you be?

I dreamt last night I was back in time, just like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future. I was back in the early 60's and peeking at my older sisters' stuff.

And what did I find? You know those little things young girls used to have back then? Autograph! Yes, I think that's what it's called.

According to Wikipedia, an "An autograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one transcribed by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph."

"Autograph also refers to a person's signature. This term is used in particular for the practice of collecting autographs of celebrities. The hobby of collecting autographs is known as philography.

The other autograph, which I refer to here, is a type of a book and in later years, would be called a slum book, in the Philippines. This is probably a baby of America's slam book, which has been described as " a notebook (commonly the spiral-bound type) which is passed among Junior high school students. The keeper of the book starts by posing a question (which may be on any subject) and the book is then passed round for each contributor to fill in their own answer to the question."

For grown men, a slum book maybe called a little black book; just names and telephone numbers and some discreet notes or codes.

Now, massaging my brain some more when I woke up, I saw how it looked. Rectangular-ish or square, and had colorful design, and some even had plastic covering. As I have several sisters, I must have had seen a few of these girlish contraptions of the 50's and 60's.

In these autographs or slum books, you see the owner's friends' profiles such as their name, nickname, address, birthday, school, ambition, motto, crush, etc.

Think. Sign in at http://www.facebook.com/ or http://www.friendster.com/. And what do you see? About Me, View my profile. And what does it say? Name, nickname, birth date, address, schools attended, zodiac sign, favorite music, movie, book, interested in, hobbies, occupation, etc.

Same banana. Just nowadays, due to the power of fiber optics, many more people, in more places you can think of, can sign into one's slum book (autograph of the olden days).

Which brings me to my original question. Where will you be?

This is covered in the area called ambition. Since slum books were common among junior highs, the question, where will you be , refers to five years from now - basically, after you've graduated from college.

In job interviews, where will you be five years from now is a common question from employers. It is a barometer for the HR guy to size up whether you will stay in the company, what your potentials are, are you worth investing on in terms of training, how far you want to grow.

In more personal terms, asking where will you be, means casually, what your plans are for the future, or could plainly be finding your whereabouts, (being nosy) especially among juveniles or chat friends, who accidentally meet up at malls, bars or who knows where.

Mary's Month of May - Flores de Mayo

The month of May is a very special month in our family. It is the birthday month of five of my siblings.

May 9, 11, 12, 14 and 23. One niece also celebrates hers on the 12th. The Fiesta of our town in Nueva Ecija also falls on May 12th, so does the Fiesta in Santa Ana, Manila (Feast of St. Anne), where I spent my childhood years.

May is the merriest month in the Philippines. That's because it is summertime; so most town fiestas occur on this month. The annual Santa Cruzan is also held on this month, which is a Catholic tradition of commemorating the journey to find the crucifix of Jesus by King Constantine and her mother, Queen Helena.

According to historical accounts, Constantine, the emperor of Rome some thousand years ago, dreamt that he should go to the battle field to fight in the name of the Holy Cross. He conquered his enemy and that victory led to his conversion to Christianity. He became the first Christian emperor in history. His mother, Queen Helena, was inspired by all these experiences and in the year 326 A.D., she went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to seek the Holy Cross, the wooden cross on which Christ was supposed to have been nailed. She successfully found the Holy Cross, complete with its inscription `INRI` on its top.

Thus, the religious Santa Cruzan procession is a re-enactment of the finding of the Holy Cross by Reyna Elena.

Of course, May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, in Catholic churches worldwide, there would be a twelve-day novena and floral offerings to Mother Mary, and which would culminate in the Flores de Mayo in the Philippines, the official May procession held by Philippine catholic parishes.

Corollary to this Catholic tradition is the neighbourhood procession called Lutrina. Originally, the Lutrina was meant to be festivities and rituals related to the the planting season which occurs in May.

The alay originally came from the very ancient past when young girls, always the symbol of purity and renewal, went to the sacred caves to offer garlands of flowers to the anito or the spirits of the forefathers. Then, it was reconfigured into the Christian tradition, and alay became the offering of the young for the Holy Virgin, then the offerings were replaced by flowers.

The lutrina, or the prayers were originally uttered by farmers as they walked through barren fields, were pleadings for the first rain. These days, the 12-day lutrina would culminate into the Santa Cruzan, where neighbourhood beauties - young girls and dalagitas - become sagalas. The last of the sagalas is always the Emperatris or Reyna Elena with her little constantino.

Nowadays, in many small nooks of Santa Ana and Mandaluyong, countless lutrinas are being held in May. But when I was growing up in one particular Santa Ana neighbourhood, there was only one lutrina, and it was started by my Lola. It was always started on May 14th, the birthday of one of my sisters. So, all my sisters and cousins, at one time or another, became "sagalas" in this Santa Cruzan and also in theFlores de Mayo.

This is also the reason, why we townsfolk of Punta and Mandaluyong, could eloquently sing the "Dios te Salve Maria."

Here in Toronto, the Filipino Catholic Mission (previously called the Filipino Chaplaincy) celebrates its own Santa Cruzan. At the old chaplaincy, we used to participate in the procession, where young Filipino- Canadian girls and boys donned their gowns and barongs, and the procession would take on the route around the high-rise apartment buildings and a park to the accompaniment of a Banda Filipino or musiko.

Happy Mother's Day

I haven't called you yet. Maybe tonight, which is tomorrow morning, Monday, over there.

But you know, I have not forgotten your Special Day. Here's to many, many more Mother's Day to come. We all love you.





Do you remember the last time we saw each other? Yes, that was your 86th birthday. And while browsing my stack of old photographs, I saw the photo of the birthday cake I gave you.










TO THE MOST WONDERFUL MOTHER IN THE WORLD

You know I have not told you as often as we all should
I love you,
These words are too empty, you see
And cannot capture the gratitude and respect
All the warmth we feel for you.

You’ve stood with us, your children
Through all these years,
Nursing our wounds and sorrows,
Sharing with our joys and victories.

There’s no one, ever, like you,
Happy Mother’s Day.

More rounds to go

Days after Pacquiao defeated Hatton, the cable and on-demand channels were still re-playing the pre-match coverages of the fight. In 24/7, there was a three-part series in which both fighters were shown while training, outside of training and showed vignettes of their personal lives.

Then, the fight between Pacquiao and de la Hoya was also constantly re-played.

I guess this is because the Pacquiao-Hatton bout was so brief that Pacquiao's fans, while ecstatic over the result, wanted to see more. I believe that Hatton fans, likewise, wanted to see more of their idol; in a better form than in the bout night itself.

So, Pacquiao caused the retirement from the ring of de la Hoya, and now of Hatton, who is said, to be preparing to become a boxing promoter.

Our own lives are much like a boxing match. We don't know if we're going to win or lose. And in order to attain the outcome we like (victory, I suppose for all), we go at-length preparing for the battle. It sounds combative, I know, but living is so unsure - look at those ultra-rich fellows who invested with Bernard Madoff and who have gone kaput overnight; some are even working as grocery baggers now.

The bouts of our lives not only refer to the economics or the financial; they concern personal relationship, too. And this area, oftentimes, becomes the crux of the battle or match.

For such grave undertakings, it's so important to have a life coach, just as the boxers rely on one. Years ago, a life coach was not a profession; nowadays, a professional life coach can command a hefty professional fee. Just look at Anthony Robbins.

A life coach can also be a parent, a counsellor, a psychotherapist, a teacher, a friend, a lover. It is someone whom you feel comfortable with, whose life and work credo you believe in, who possesses a wide-range of knowledge and life experience, and who can be both objective and subjective in assessing your issues, and offering motivation and suggesting a plan of action.

These days when we hear more bad economic news than good ones, when more relationships turn sour, and when those still seeking are faced with new rules of social networking and "hooking up," the need to map out a fight plan or strategy even becomes more relevant.

As for me, I am not about to quit on the challenges that confront life. I see more rounds ahead of me. And it's best to ponder on the right strategy before making any moves.

It is always good to see each new round as a new opportunity to claim victory.

News from Toronto

The swine flu scare was very obvious at the Minneapolis International Airport. While looking for a place to eat, I saw several Asian-looking girls wearing face masks.

Then at the gate for the final leg of my trip back to Toronto, there was a group of Chinese tourists all wearing masks. I looked around and the locals (Americans) were only wearing either a smile, because of the warmer weather there, or a frown, because the boarding gates were so far apart which meant longish walking while dragging one's luggage.

Back in Toronto, the first sight that greeted me was the price of gas. It was selling at 95 cents a liter. When I left, I gassed up at 85 cents per liter. So, there was a ten-cent increase. I've been away eleven days, so it means that the gasoline price increased almost 1 cent per day.

Then, instead of taking a cab, I took the TTC bus from Pearson International and the local train all the way home. There were lots of cabs parked outside the airport but more people preferred taking the public transport. I guess the hard economic times have caught everyone by surprise. With public transport, you pay $3 ; by cab, you pay $55 plus tip. Go, figure.

At home, Tommy, the male budgie was already asleep. When I peered into the balcony, I called his name, and he moved and slowly showed his head. Then after my dinner, I peeked again and this time, I saw Ugly Betty on the upper perch, side by side with Tommy Boy. Lucky Boy!

News from Seattle

Microsoft has laid off at least 5,000 people so far. First time home buyers maybe the key to real estate recovery. The Philippine Community Centre is having a fundraising dance on May 30th. It's been raining these past two days in Seattle and weather has been on the cooler side.

For this trip to California and Washington, I packed spring-summery clothes; mostly short-sleeved shirts, and even brought two pairs of shorts. It's good I also brought two long-sleeved thicker shirts, and a spring jacket. When I left Toronto, it was a nice 20 degree Celsius or thereabouts - the reason for my summer-frame of mind.

Good news is, since I arrived here in the west coast, I've been to 5 churches already - St. Justin, St Maria Goretti, St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Family and St. Bernadette; another church I would go to is the St. Philomena.

Bad news is, I've also abandoned my usual diet in favor of high cholesterol cuisine; this always happens when I'm away from home.

RV-ing

7 Pinoys. 1 Chinese. 1 Vietnamese. We were all rooting for Pacquiao last Saturday evening. And when Manny downed Hatton twice on the first round, then knocked him out for good (worse), we were shouting and doing high fives, that even baby Tam Tam came out of her room, and joined the frenzy. What a fight!

After the event, five adults hopped into my nephew's RV and drove to the Starbuck's State of Washington, the residence of Bill Gates. It took us 15 hours of driving from San Jose, CA, but with stops for gas, rest and eating, it was closer to 20.

The RV is a mini-house, complete with bedroom, dining area, kitchen with stove and microwave, toilet and even a tub for bathing. The toilet was the size of a plane's washroom, and even included all its bumpy ride during an air pocket. When the RV moves and you're inside the john, you have to watch it!

The bedroom has two beds and can accommodate 4 people; outside, there's a couch for 1 person to sleep on. The dining table sits 4 people.

We were able to cook rice, spam and egg for breakfast and had adobong manok for lunch.

Three Sisters and a Wedding

3 sisters. 2 brothers in law. 5 nephews. 2 nieces-in-law. 1 grandniece. 1 grandnephew. Friends from New Jersey and Arizona. Friends and relatives of bride and groom from several states and three other countries, and from the Philippines, of course.

We all attended the wedding of my niece, Rachelle and Erwin in San Jose, California last Thursday, April 30th.

I was a Ninong at the wedding, and my eldest sister was one of the Ninangs.

It was a lovely wedding. Again, I wish Rachelle and Erwin a big congratulations, and here's to a happy, peaceful and blessed life ahead!

The day was also the 32nd wedding anniversary of my youngest sister, the bride's mom. So it was a double celebration.

Reception was at the lovely Hotel Valencia, where there were hors d'oeuvres at the hotel's beautiful garden before the actual reception. For the pre-reception, we enjoyed the native, crispy lechon, among other appetizers and an open bar.

Of course, Filipino weddings wouldn't be complete without dancing, so we enjoyed several numbers with music provided by two Filipina singers. Now the eldest sister wants me to teach them how to ballroom. Well.