Culture and Travel

I realized I am like my mom in a way.

My mom has itchy feet when she was younger. She has lived and traveled to Pangasinan, Iloilo, Zamboanga and Laguna.. so she knows different dialects that sort of delight visitors in our house because they converse in the native dialect.

I find this interesting..

LIke connecting to other human beings, wanting to know their culture and tradition.. and making friends with them (and so I can go travel to places without fear because Im with a local ^_^)


As I travel the Philippines and know bits of culture of every region.. I stay amazed..

Since Im in the visayas, I was made aware that when I speak tagalog, people here will find it weird... just like when visayans talk when they are in Manila or anywhere in a Tagalog speaking place...

Sometimes I think... gantihan ba ito? Or do we have our own racial discrimination?

Hopefully not.. People's culture and perspectives are just different.. we just need to learn how to respect each other... and in the end, make friends ^_^

I guess that is one step of building unity.. besides this nation is divided by islands already.. hope the division will not extend to our hearts.

Social Clock

Im currently in Bohol.. for the Nth time. ^_^

I first visited this place last 2002 when I trained the staff of the Municipal Trial Court for their computer literacy program.. just because my cousin is a judge.. talk about influence.. tsk tsk

And then i went back to travel with friends (and train my cousin's staff or be the temporary yaya for my sweet pamangkins on the side. ^_^)

Every now and then, while Im with relatives, hindi maiiwasan ang irritating question - "why am i not married yet.." then i say to myself - "damn social clock".

And then I tell stories about my travels and adventures and then they ask again, "its good that you get to travel around".. and then i say, "that's because im single!"

arrgghh sino ba ang nag imbento ng social clock, sasakalin ko ng bonggang bongga.

Life is a simple blessing

In preparation for my placement in the land where the red shirts are.. I try to go into musings which I most often do in this hiatus state of my life ^_^.. most of them barring myself from complains whoop! ^_^

I'm about to complain on the hot weather.. but then I read an email from my friend in Kolkata that the weather there is 39-40 degrees... and in Thailand its around 38-41.. so Im still lucky I live in this country.

I'm about to complain on boredom... but then I realize I have the luxury of time that I have been longing for since I left the corporate.. and I have lots of time to exercise my creative brain that has gone passive since my analytic brain always get to work out.

I'm about to complain on people spending company time bashing other people (and they get away with it) instead of being productive thinking of ways to improve their own freaking lives.. but then i realize i should be a good example... so enough bashing your thoughts grasya.

I'm about to complain of not being rich like the King of Orcha... but I say to myself I will have my time harhar.

And then I also realize I'm free to roam the earth without worrying about hiring bodyguards or being kidnapped... otherwise mga kawawang kidnappers tsk tsk.

I'm about to complain about this and that... but I realize I have enough loving friends and extended family... so let me review the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs and see where I am at the moment... hrrmm....

A glimpse of hope

Congrats to the new President of the Philippines...

A great salute to the other candidates who despite not winning, still showed support just to make the future of this country better. Now there goes a glimpse of hope. ^_^

Meanwhile, I am fundraising for VSO Bahaginan. For as little as 500 pesos, you will be supporting the volunteers who are sent to far flung places to share their skills and knowledge to fellow earth citizens..

Please let me know once you have donated so I can track down the effectivity of my campaign.

May the dreams of a better and fairer society become a reality..

Wallflower Poetry

So Im seizing my free days just like any Carpe diem moments... and I have managed to dig into my old files and read old diaries and poetry..

Please see them here

Recent travels of the wallflower

I was in Tagaytay and then went to Sagada recently..

Caleruega in Tagaytay was a very beautiful place.. the perfect place for the wedding of my high school barkada.. It also became a high school mini reunion.. so glad to have catch up with my gals.. although that all girl school brought me not so wonderful memories thanks to alta de sosyedad hypocrites but well... i survived... harhar.

Sagada for 4 days at less than 5000 pesos was a value for the buck I highly recommend it. You can view this site as reference -> http://www.visitsagada.com/

We only hired a tour guide when we went down the caves but our adventurous hearts went alone trekking the mountains to see water falls and hanging coffins.. Good thing ate Mona Cadiz knows Ilocano, rapport with the locals was easy.

Kung may powers lang ako, Ill suggest na mag take up ng at least one local dialect ang mga kabataang Pilipino.. its a way for us to build rapport with our fellow Pinoys.. saka para hindi rin tayo basta basta mabenta when we're in a distant place in the Phils.

I was trying to capture my mood so I can write a decent post but the piano songs being played on the background is so sweet.. parang gusto ko na lang mag emote hahahaha! ^_^ Ang galing galing talaga ni Evoy Estrada ^_^..

Golly, mamaya na ang mga serious na bagay.. mag eemote muna ako.