Living in the City

 Tarot Predictions?   1. How you feel about yourself now You feel confused, vulnerable and full of doubts, however, all is not as it seems. Feel the fear and do it anyway, because all will turn out well. Expect the new and unexpected into your life. Your turbulent emotions are muddying the waters so step back and try to find clarity of mind, although this may seem difficult. Things may seem tough or confusing but stick with it, it's right for you. The Moon is a good omen if you are in a clandestine affair.     2. What you most want at this moment The cards suggest that what you most want at this time is to know what to do, as well as companionship or a lover as you feel somewhat lonely or isolated at the moment. Perhaps you are feeling exhausted and in need of a rest - if you have been ill this is a time for rest and recuperation.     3. Your fears If there's a new man in your life you are probably asking yourself if he can be trusted? Or perhaps this is a man of i

My father, my aunts and my uncles were all baptized here in this church.

Secrets of your Own?  I read somewhere that one should not be in a hurry to find out a secret, because it might just change one's life forever. But better, always try to give the other party a dignified way out... Good karma, you see. No matter how painful it shall be.

Badge, a Pin? My partner gave me this lapel pin which the Mayor of our Marikina City, gave him. This happened when he and his Korean business partners paid the Mayor a visit. The visit was about a business proposal offering the city government, eco-friendly and energy efficient lighting systems. It appears that the Mayor liked the proposal if only for the fact that the City will be able to save a lot of money in terms of energy cost savings. When I got the pin, I was curious about its history. And so as always, I looked up found these interesting things about lapel pins, on Wikipedia. And I now share it here: 1. "A lapel pin (also called "button" or "badge") is a small pin often worn on the lapel of a dress jacket. Lapel pins can be purely ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organization or cause; for example, American Flag lapel pins became very popular in the United States, especially among politicians, following the te

  Ecclesiastes Way 3:1-8 For everything there is a season, And a time for every matter under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate, A time for war, and a time for peace.

Araw ng Kagitingan April 9 is commemorated as a day to celebrate the heroism and bravery of our fallen heroes during World War II. When Bataan fell on this day,  many, many years ago, we remember the 100 kilometer Capas, Tarlac  walk of these heroes towards their death. Many perished along the way due to sheer exhaustion, lack of food and torture. Will we ever know the lengths of their sufferings? I heard PNoy over the radio this morning giving a speech about heroism.. how these men shed their blood to counter the military advances of the

Lola Please fly me to the moon On a cool Wednesday afternoon I see the moon on my veranda. Everytime I stand on this veranda, it is as if I can see forever. can you see the moon? rizal province  from afar

Our country is reeling off from the machinations of politicians who have been egging all and sundry to go back to the streets again (ala EDSA 1) to force PGMA to resign. Har! Di pa tayo sawa sa mga politikong yan? I have never asked anything from any politician. For the last 30 years of my adult life wala akong ginawa kundi bumoto, magbayad ng tax, sumunod sa batas at lahat ng kailangang gawin ng isang mabuting mamayan ay ginawa ko na yata. Kaya please, baka sabihin ng iba diyan, bayaran o "paid hack"ako ni GMA. And saken lang, okey lang express natin dis-appointment natin sa mga katiwalian (sigurado meron ano) na nangyayari sa gobyerno niya (eh kaninong gobyerno ba wala?) pero tama na ang people power. Let the proper forum decide her guilt if ever. What we can perhaps do is heed to what the CBCP articulated in their statement. If I can remember correctly, the statement mentioned the ff: 1. Ayusin ng mga politiko ang ginagawa nila. Both Houses. Mga Congressm

Ketosis' are supposed to cleans our cells A good read about how elderly people or why  even those who are not should really watch out the carbs that get into the body.  See more here: Ketosis cleans our cells

Birthday Cookies from Doc Lu Friends come and go but not this one.  I am not really a pastry eater, but this morning my good friend Doc Lu came over to personally greet me (she's been greeting me everyday since Nov 19) sweet huh.. gave me these super delicious cookies oozing with nuts and nuts and nuts .. wooow.. masarap talaga..

From a very distinguished Doctor who was my high school classmate. Hello Malou, Advanced Happy Birthday and I thank you again for your help in the creation of a textbook for world audience. I will donate one to the UP College of Medicine. As you see below, you are acknowledged. The book will be out in print, 600 pages, color coming Feb 2012, so I am quite up to my neck in making this happen. Sorry if I miss the big event and apologize to all.   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS   We, at the onset, would like to express our gratitude to the staff of Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, and especially to our ever gracious medical editor, Thom Moore. Since we may not be able to thank all the staff who made this book possible, we ask leave for not including everyone. I would like also thank my former mentors who started me on the path to hematopathology: Dr. Jen Lin of New York and Drs. Dick Neiman and Atillio Orazi, formerly of Indianapolis, where I had my hematopathology fellowship. Since that

Health Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil I love massaging a combined mixture of lavender essence oil with  virgin coconut massage oil. It really does wonders to the many "old age"  aches in my body. And that's just the beginning. For me,  lavender reduces tension because of its wonderful scent. Read the Health Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil.

Travel and the  time of your life At 25,  you start thinking of having your own family.  Exciting to be young. Dreamland, well it felt that way. The wedding and then just like in the movies the scenes played out right before your eyes,  the  trips back home with babies in your arms.  Blissful  love peppered  time.  But, there were sadness too.  Partner and all, children in tow.  Life punctuated with  christenings, countless birthdays, anniversaries,  and holidays. They all  added up to the glitter of  an already  full professional life.  There were dozens of dull times too, making choices, praying that joyful times would drown out the noisy part of  both  job and  family.  In between being a daughter, mothering and the better halfing, the professional life seemed to have flourished as well. How could I have all done that? Not without the hard work. The  sleepless nights. Sacrifice looks like paying off. Now, it’s  time to reap the benefit of jobs well done, missions accomplishe

Icon Steve Jobs Dies Famous Quotes from Steve Jobs: * “If Apple becomes a place where computers are a commodity item, where the romance is gone, and where people forget that computers are the most incredible invention that an has ever been invented, I’ll feel I have lost Apple. But if I’m a million miles away, and all those people still feel those things… then I will feel that my genes are still there.”     * “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”     * “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”     * “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”     * “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on

Typhoon Pedring as seen from our veranda Local Time is September 27, 2011 at about 11:00 A.M. Marikina River is at Level 17 expected to breach Level 18 this afternoon possibly because  of Monsoon rains plus effects of Typhoon Pedring. Nothing but rain clouds Roof of our neighbor's house.. the only thing visible at the moment Trees swaying in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions

Will Try Virgin Coconut Oil Again I have just scanned through Dr Vermen Verallo's book on coconut oil. And if not for it's steep tag price at National Book Store, I would have bought myself a copy. Tsk.. tsk.. I have a personal anecdotal experience with extra virgin coconut oil . In 2003, someone from the mall convinced us to try it for my hypertensive condition.. it was quite expensive Php110 for 120ml I think;  which ran out after a week with two of us taking it one tablespoon everyday. I used extra virgin for almost everything. Aside from the daily dose, I used it for oil burns, insect bites, for massaging back and shoulder aches;  I even tried to use it to  dissipate the effects of my sinusitis.   It  was the perfect solution for almost every thing.   For about a year I  continued taking it. Alas,   my  doctor found out and she ordered  that  I immediately stop because according to her, the oil  will do me more harm than good.. ouch! But after re-reading snipp

I quote a beautiful poem from the Web about Mothers like my Mama.. and here goes:                          "The Best mother that I LOVE" "When God set the world in place, when He hung the stars up in space, when He made the land and the sea, then He made you and me. My mother, taken in 2009 He sat back and saw all that was good, He saw things to be as they should. Just one more blessing He had in store; He created a mother, but whatever for? He knew a mother would have a special place to shine His reflection on her child's face. A mother will walk the extra mile just to see her children smile. She'll work her fingers to the bone to make a house into a home. A mother is there to teach and guide, a mother will stay right by your side. She'll be there through your pain and strife, she'll stay constant in your life. A mother will lend a helping hand until you have the strength to stand. She'll pick you up when you are down, when you ne

Noynoy's Labor Day "gift"  to housewives and home keepers Effective today, May 2, 2011, Shellane LPG gas will cost an additional Php3.00 a kilo increase; effectively Php33.00 per 11kilogram tank. HOMAYGAD! As what my future daughter-in-law jokingly says in her fb posts. How do we solve a problem like increasing cooking gas prices, Maria? One time cooking.. prepare what you can in bulk.. rice and viands can be cooked both for lunch and dinner. It's big meals like dinner and lunch that consumes a lot of energy. Out with hot steaming rice and settle for re-heats. That's what we have been doing for the last year or  so.. so  our  gas tank makes good for 2 months. But did I forget to mention, there's only two of us?

My backaches I can barely stand This morning I was washing two foot rugs, not really heavy stuff.  I think I strained my back because something is causing this stinging pain on my lower back. When I tried to google "sudden back pain" this was what I found: "As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The discs begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae. Pain can occur when, for example, someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back. If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control body movements and transm

Yet another view of  Rizal province, from where I sit taking my ginger brew  every morning.. something that  makes my day, a day to always remember.. A wee bit of information on Rizal: the towns in Rizal include, Antipolo, Taytay, Cainta, Morong and Tanay, Angono, Rodrguez, Pillila, Jalajala, Cardona, Baras, San Mateo, Binangonan and Teresa. These towns are accessible via jeepneys plying from different centers in Metro Manila.  See more of the Rizal province here .

Everyday, I   see the MRT Santolan Pasig Station from our  veranda.  As I get my daily dose of Vitamin D here every morning , I see these trains  come,  and I see them go.  The thought that this pretty landscape can be erased  at any moment because of the West Valley Fault System is unbearable. If Nature so decides who are we humans to question. But still I pray for God's mercy.

 Now it's the WVFS When the  Intensity 9  Fukushima  Earthquake devastated Japan, my partner and I became concerned - what do we do? Will we move our residence again? The reason? Our  place  right now sits on top of the West Valley Fault System (WVFS). WVFS is an earthquake fault system that  traverses primarily  Quezon City, Marikina, and Pasig.  The system affects many subdivisions, including Loyola Grand Villas, then  proceeds southwest to Baranggay Barangka, moves southwards to Valle Verde. "From Barangka, the fault follows the base of Eastern Q.C. high lands and gradually becomes less distinct". We are concerned. Afraid,  yes. I have been  trying hard to contain the fear, unceasingly praying  that nothing devastating ever happens. Best of all, we are trying to prepare for the worst. But to think that we're just recuperating from Ondoy .

Used to be that in the months of March and April the searing heat in tropical countries  like ours drives all of us nuts. But weather aberrations due to ozone layer destruction has  resulted to what now appears  to be the unimaginable effects  of  climate change.  For instance cold mornings  and damp weather in summer .. similar to what's happening at this very moment,  with rain starting to  fall in drizzles, slowly growing  to palpable and very insistent heavy showers. Har.. summer used to be sunny, bright weather, birds twitting endlessly,  with winds blowing gently, and  fruits generously waiting to be picked..   What has happened to our world? Have we been too irresponsible in our ways,  that we are now reaping  the consequences of our own abuse for nature? There is still time I hope. We must do what is right for Mother Nature. Otherwise, doom will surely meet us at the end of the road.

Yes, it's been a while. My only reason is too little time for too many tasks to accomplish. I regret that there's only 24 hours in a day. I have been busy in social networking sites.. looking for school friends, trying to reach out -- to re-connect with classmates. I have also been trying to locate long lost relatives. And glad to say, I am lucky. I have found most of those who matter. In a month's time perhaps, I hope I can attend to blogging full time. Ahh, there's so much to write about, lessons learned, and significant things to make this life more meaningful.

I have recently re-connected with high school batch and class mates. I was  happy but astounded and surprised to say the least.  I didn't think that at this mature age most of these mates remain juvenile in their attitude towards the world and others. It is amusing to watch these "mature" dudettes crab each other down with the flimsiest excuse. It's been a disappointing experience so far. It saddens me but I have actually quit my post because of feelings of   frustration -  with how they are, unwittingly perhaps, destroying the initial bonds that we've all managed to collectively create. What a dud!

This time it is Juan; it almost totally devastated the province of Isabela and other nearby provinces. At the time I am writing this post there is a danger that it could return because it has remained quasi-stationary in the South China Sea. Rice warehouses, infrastructure, rice plantation in Isabela: everything almost wiped out. God help our country.

The Reproductive Health Bill must be passed. It is long overdue. PNoy must stand pat his position. Couples must be given the choice to choose what family planning method is applicable to their needs. Whether it is  natural method  or  artificial, every family must be given the right the right to choose what they need, without the threat of ex-communicationit. Fact is the Philippines must curb its population growth rate. Reasons are pretty obvious - the country's resources are no longer sustainable because there's too many mouths to feed, not to mention problems with sanitation , health  and housing needs.

Usec Rico Puno Revisited The new government of PNoy carries the burden of Usec Rico Puno's  alleged  involvement with government wrongdoings.  First, with the recent hostage taking fiasco double whammying with jueteng payola. But as I post this, I hear over the radio that Senate President Enrile says everything revealed by ArchBishop's list is hearsay... that the Senate is no longer interested in investigating the personalities. For his part Usec Puno is said to be filing his courtesy resignation as soon as PNoy comes back from his US trip. Along with so many people, we ask.. why not irrevocable resignation.

What's with these PNoy boys? Blabbering things they don't realize might hurt Noynoy and his Presidency. Hear USEC Rico Puno say that as early as 2:00 PM PNoy was suggesting  that maybe he should go and talk to hostage taker, Mendoza to warn  him of the damage he was causing. But was  prevailed upon. Reason - protocol.. har Why does he need to say these? What good will it do? Does it help clear things up? Or do exactly otherwise? And what's with Sec Robredo? It's said that he accepted the DILG post on the condition that he will just take on the local government part alone. Does one accept a cabinet post to do only the things one wants to do?  I think for the country's sake they both should go.

 News Overshadowed by Luneta Grandstand Hostage Crisis The hostage crisis situation dominated the news headlines in the last 8 days. As a result, equally important issues took a back seat: Worsening dengue situation - said to have increased by 75% this year. Calling DOH. Ampatuan Massacre - postponements that seem to delay the early conviction of those who will be found guilty. Human rights violation again,  allegedly committed by Manila policemen Hide and Ply strategy of colorum buses with  EDSA routes   Continuous media campaign to support the government's plans to address possible flood crisis situation during the remaining typhoon season. Mismanagement of gov't funds by GOCC's.. after current Senate investigation,  what now?