Sweet moments with Ms. B

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them ".

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And! the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love! , whether it's family, pets,keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
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This was e-mailed to me and i'm glad to share it with you!

Once upon a time… Oh, actually, it really didn’t go like that. Instead, it can be better understood by enumerating some key points:

The Festival
This celebration of Easter goes back a long time. Its origins can be traced back to the times when religion didn’t exist yet, because, it was a pagan ritual! It was their way of merry making for the return of springtime thus giving due credit to their Goddess of Spring and a festival was held in her honor as told in ancient times of the Anglo-Saxons (early culturally related inhabitants of Britain) around mid-5th century A.D.


The Period
The pagan year usually has four cardinal days (periods) for celebration, that is: fall, midwinter, spring, and midsummer. And traditionally, during the Vernal Equinox (the day or period of days in spring when the days and nights are approximately equal in length), a huge feast was held celebrating a new life or nature resurrection, in another way of saying.


The Name
So many views were told about the name/word “Easter”. First it was taken from the Anglo-Saxon Spring goddess: Eostre. Then, it evolved into “Easter” from the old English version of Spring Festival. As quoted from, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (1994-1998 edition), it stated "…the term Easter, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ, comes from the Old English easter or eastre, a festival of spring….”


The Egg
Finally, we are now taking up the EGG. These are primitive symbols of FERTILITY. It was learned that Christians adapted it as “…symbol of the tomb from which Christ rose…”. Today, exchange of Easter-colored-eggs means new life and fertility.

There you go, I hope I have enlightened some vague minds about the Easter egg story. As for the Eastern bunny, well, it was supposedly the “…sacred companion of the Goddess of Spring (Eostre)…”.

Picture -perfect image of our dear JESUS. And perfect too for today's occasion: Good Friday... He suffered on the cross for all humanity.

" For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life."(John 3:16:)

Amazing picture really because if you stare long enough, you will see more... Want to try it now?

by Grace L. Naessens

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish, I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;
Why doesn't God help me, I wondered; He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me - He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence; I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

For Holy Thursday- April 13, 2006

If you can keep your head when all about you,
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good or talk too wise:

If you can dream and not make dreams your master;
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the words you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them:"Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a man, my son!

This was supposedly Julious Caesar's letter to Cleopatra on his visit to Egypt; after which he noticed that Egyptians were using pictures instead of words when writing. So, when he came back to Rome"...he decided to send a letter to Cleopatra to let her know how much he cared for her. Wanting to be friendly he used a few pictures in his letter instead of words."



Translating it would go like this...

Once upon a time
I was lonely; looking for somebody; who would be like
me in everyway; so that we two had
something in common to do
and say.Then I found you one
day and said; "You will be my
forever friend"; you made me so
happy,you bright end up my life;
we got along so well and had lots of fun in our own stride...

And now I just can
not imagine what I would have done
without you; for you are so wonderful,funny
and sweet.You are my dream-come-true;
so,dear friend,say you will always
be there,to share in my good and bad
times and to tell me 'You care'.

UnknownAuthor:

(Notice the resemblance in out way of texting lately?)

Independence day - July 4, 1946 onwards...

Introduction
So much has been said and told about Philippine history. We can read them from books in school libraries, textbooks, and other major institutions.

From our elementary years through high school then college, and perhaps in graduate school, we keep seeing all over again and again the same names and data that our national hero is a man named Dr. Jose P. Rizal… three priests were beheaded…and another man whose name is after a local fish (Lapu-Lapu) who scared the Spaniards away leaving their superior headless in a tiny village (Mactan) and so on, and so forth.

True, they say, our country has been manipulated to the max (maximum), if I may say. And because of this sour past, we Filipinos did not, in any manner, really felt “free”, not to the max anyhow .I mean, we did not have real “freedom of speech” since. We can only say this much because we need to “sanitize”. Doh! I love the word.

Who am I to say more of the “nots” and “don’ts” and no-nos of our own history? Well, if I have my way, I would say all these:

The Filipino, a product of 300 years of medieval rule and 50 years of Hollywood...
A centrifuge is a machine that spins liquid in a container and displacing all dissolved solids at the bottom, by centrifugal force, and in layers according to their relative weights, forming a tiered homogenous blob.

The “pre-modern” history of Filipinos was far from a centrifuge, by analogy. The forces that molded the Filipino identity were so diverse, if not completely contrasting. Three centuries of complete subjugation and being kept divided (lacking a common language) highly contrasted with 50 years of unbridled liberalism, with a uniting medium, the English language.

The centuries-old passion of the Filipinos to be independent finally broke through with the granting of independence on July 4, 1946. The die was cast: The Philippines run like hell by Filipinos rather than being run like heaven by the Americans. Were we ready for independence then?

Spain can’t go away, America won’t go away
Independence was granted. It was therefore not a matter of right. It was more of a gift. The Filipinos, led by President Manuel Roxas, the first President of the Republic, looked up to the Americans as the two-time-redeemer (from Spain and Japan). The Philippines would later adopt, as a matter of policy, the military and parity “Acts” which would give the Americans their military bases and equal rights for their citizens in the conduct of business.

Yet, no matter how “Americanized” the new system was, the Filipino anima was deeply Spanish. The barrio fiestas in honor of the patroness, the compadres to favor, the layered societal communities, the parochial schools and major universities owned and run by religious orders, and of course, the Spanish family names assigned to the natives.

The Philippines would certainly be run like hell by Filipinos simply because we were not a homogenous people.

Number two in South East Asia
The first few years of the Roxas government was a mess. Economy slid down and there was so much dissatisfaction. The Americans took the opportunity and came up with a “see-I-told-you” approach and started the Aid-program, a minor economic surge. But the countryside did not feel the surge. In the 1940s a brewing unrest came to the fore in a form of a communist movement. A very popular President however, nipped the Huks on the bud; a land reform system was enshrined by President Ramon Magsaysay, calming down the rebellion and ultimately dismantling it.

In the 1950s, in order to bail out the Philippines from a sliding economy, the US came out with a package that was too good to refuse: the military and parity Acts which would be a conduit for American business to prop up the economy. In return, Americans would have the military bases and would give their citizens equal rights in the conduct of business. Economy grew. Historians agree that the Philippines were only second to Japan in Southeast Asia.

But the prestige would be short lived. Martial Law and a new Constitution would totally change the picture.

A Subjugated people, again -(four times over, including the WWII Japanese Occupation)
As if being subjugated by the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese were not enough; we are subjugated again, for the 4th time. We have allowed our mangled past to cloud our judgment. We have maintained a central government (Manila) that takes upon itself the rule as the “Big Brother”. The colonial mentality lords over in all levels of our society, even within the family itself, the basic unit of society. Patriarchy, as reflected in the Bible, still pervades, nullifying the fact that marriage and elective positions are born with a partnership contract.

Nothing could reflect this I-Me-Mine mindset better than the Martial Law years. The uncontrolled hunger for power has subjugated us again. The cancer within metastasized, even as the Martial Law players are gone.

Martial Rule was a well-crafted ruse. The Constitution was changed and made to adopt perpetuation of power. It touched the basic human fabric and held everyone at bay. It was so well executed, it lasted for 20 years, plunging the economy down and almost destroying hope among its citizenry. But as the Spanish Rule ended with the death of a nationalist; so did this dark portion of our modern history.

Post Martial Law self-infused subjugation, the present:
The one singular thing we learned from Martial Rule was the rule of law. The country could not move forward unless the rules are changed; thus, the 1987 Constitution. The new order talks of autonomy of local governments. In effect, it said goodbye to imperial Manila. Governmental functions were devolved, jurisdiction were transferred.

Yet even with a better Constitution, we are still reeling from the effects of the past. The Cory government laid out the legislative basis for change. In spite of several coups (momentum from the military), she survived her term as a well-respected transitory president, not only locally, but also in the international circle. The Ramos government took off well enough to be regarded as an omen that finally the Philippines would see the light again. Then came the actor (Joseph Estrada) and his ouster (even as the impeachment trial was not concluded!). The economy, saddled by huge deficit and foreign debt, again took a snail’s pace. This political “after-shock” was too much for the present leader, President Gloria Arroyo, to take her Presidency in stride. A crisis brought about by accusations of election fraud, fueled by the “Garci” tapes, almost brought her down. The crisis still persists, but she seems to hold on.

But why all these violence are on to us? The situation is much easier understood if we empathized a battered child, take a trip into his psyche and see the bigger picture. History is our teacher. History tells us that whether we like it or not, the insult inflicted on our forefathers has stuck in our genes and has governed our behavior as a people. Denial is dangerous and would lead to false hopes and despair.

An afterthought…
We have a crisis at hand. Nurses are leaving our hospitals for abroad, and so are other professionals (teachers as DHs in Hong Kong, etc.). We have elected our “enemies” in Congress and gave them millions for their countryside activities (a good number think that the funds ended up as bullets that kill our soldiers). The business community (especially Chinese) does not feel safe from kidnappers. Drug laboratories operate in the neighborhood of elected officials.

There is an on-going breakdown of civil responsibility. The environment is taking the brunt. We are imploding.

The vital role of History (and historians?)
Human behavior is predictable, in spite of its complexities. Things happen for a reason. History tells us that nothing happens spontaneously. It is a matter of picking out specific events in our past, discover the cause-and-effect episodes, understand the Filipino as a person and as a people and design formulae for peace and progress.

Hypothetically this is doable. History is an ally, a potent one, but only when historians transcend from just telling stories to expressing what it felt like.

The Movie: “The New World”, half fiction and half based on true events but kind of twisted.

Subject of the movie:
“The New World” revolves around human experience during the 1600’s landing/exploration of America, specifically the preset State of Virginia, by British explorers. The storyline touches on basic human traits:

1) the primordial right to protect ones property

2) the nature of man to explore the unknown

3) the capacity of man to love, even someone totally alien to him/her.

The side-subject is nature and man’s respect and mastery over it. Dialogue lines like “I love to feel the grass” (Pocahontas, who spend so much tie roaming the meadows barefoot), scenes like burying a fish beside a tobacco plant to condition the soil (compost) and the use of tree branches to build their native houses instead of cutting down the tree itself (like what the Europeans did).

Storyline: (Category: Tragedy)
On the surface, “The New World” appears to be a romantic tragedy, an off-love triangle that is broken by the decision of the woman who would later die young. However, a historical significance is forwarded. The tragedy is more on the deprivation of the natives of their right to abode, their culture ad value slowly dying out.

The portrayal of events was balanced. There was no slant on the manner and outcome of the battles (superiority of the Europeans with their canons and guns was ably evened out by the strategy of the natives to use body paint to blend with the surroundings and their effective use of the terrain). No bias was felt on the romantic twist when the princess gave up on Capt. Smith, her first love who she thought was dead, for her husband who accepted his fate. On the human survival side, it was a worth the effort to portray the weak and distraught settlers inside the fort, famished from lack of food, only to be “saved” by the once friendly natives who came in, although unwelcome, with meat and other foodstuffs.

Making of the movie:
The movie would ultimately suffer from the brevity and simplicity of the story. In the middle part, dialogue, which was short and far in between, had to be supplemented by dragging sceneries. For lack of twists and turns of the storyline itself, and the need to come up with a 2-hour film, a considerable portion of the movie was purely visual: rivers, mountains, treetops, skyline and, of course, grass. Even the musical score suffered from the drag. It was repetitive and predictable relying on the sound quality of the musical instruments and percussion. There were moments when the background music would totally go: pure silence. Is this the way the Director intended the film to focus on the beauty of nature? Or did the composer just run out of notes to write! These silent episodes did not work. The Director might as well have taken still photos of the scenery, arrange them in sequence, and direct the viewer to walk in a queue to appreciate them and get the message.

Costume was excellent except for one glaring glitch: Pocahontas wore a thin, fine-woven fabric that could not have been available in the 1600’s native America. Well, that’s the movies!
Casting was well decided, the actors responded perfectly. The battle scene was overly gory and violent, one would wonder why there were still so many left standing after the siege of the fort. One can’t feel the before and after, in terms of number of people.

General impression:
“New World” is a brave attempt to make something out of a simple short story. Had it not been for the contrasts (culture difference, the natural country-side in Virginia vis-à-vis the unique architecturally manipulated gardens in Europe, and the facial features of native Americans vis-à-vis the Europeans), had it not been for the superb casting and realistic costumes, the movie would have been one of those so-so high budget films relegated into the archives to join “Water World” and other also-runs.

POCAHONTAS, the animation:
In retrospect, one would easily understand why Pocahontas was a musical. The music (dialogue in musical form) blended well with the flow of the streams, rivers and grass, the curve of the mountains and the riches of the treetops. But more importantly, singing the dialogue consumes time, and time was the enemy of this short story. The brevity and simplicit of the story required the shortest of dialogues.

If the actors in the “New World” were paid by the number of words they spoke, the legendary Christopher Plummer would end up a pauper!