Day of the Dead

Few days from now is All Saint’s Day. While in many countries, this is a solemn holiday set aside to remember the dead, in the Philippines the holiday is a day of festivities. November 1 marks the beginning of the Filipino "Araw ng mga Patay," the celebration of the dead. The memorial continues through the next day, All Souls Day. If for others it is sincere and solemn, for some it is a day of fun and pleasure. Do you put faith in stories about the return of spirits of the dead, of witches, and of ghosts and goblins? If you are from my country and was born in the 70’s, you are surely familiar with the all the sequels of Shake, Rattle & Roll or see Noli de Castro delivering his spiel “Magandang Gabi, Bayan” in a dark, spooky graveyard.

Before November 1, people would cram to Divisoria for the candles and flowers. Also, join thousands of people who gather early in the cemetery to decorate their dead relatives' tombs. Cemeteries consist mostly of mausoleums instead of grave plots and generations of ancestors are often buried in one tomb. The mausoleums are gaily adorned with balloons and flowers.

Going to the cemetery is another story. Not only you spend for the candles and flowers, but you are also doomed to get stuck in the traffic and realized that everyone is out this time of year. And if you are visiting dead relatives in the province, you should have saved enough for the family to survive the entire vacation.

However, the true November 1 experience happens in collecting used candles, eating toasted corn nuts and salted snack foods, playing games and sharing stories while sitting on the ledges of tombs. In this festive atmosphere, it's not unusual to hear the echoes of the old and young laughing.

It is indeed not really just the living visiting the dead, but it is more of coming home to place that brings you back where you are rooted, to where you will more likely rest in peace when your own time comes.

Half Full and Rising

Oh I’m so into this website, bloggers.com these days. Not only was I able to read wonderful blogs but also get connected with wonderful people who have the same interests, thoughts and probably passions in life. There is variety, more like a buffet table of everything you want, need to learn, great to know in blogging.

Thanks to a new friend, Andy Ko, for the suggestion. Please visit his blog, “Jec and the Beans Talk” and “e-Revenue”. You will not only get a grasp of his personal views but hear him singing too. Did I forget to tell he is Marco Sison- Hajji Alejandro- Anthony Castello rolled into one? I say, he sings ballad songs really well.

I also particularly like the blogs of Ning Li, owner of “The Other Side of Me”. Well worded, with lots of interesting pictures in it. One can readily relate with her positive views. Ready yourself to see God’s plan in hailing distance.

Nur’s latest post “ Vitamin from Bo” from his blog Perfect Day has quotes, verses, speech marks that can be very useful in daily living. Although they are not originally his; but he cared to collect them for the readers. I happened upon just a few of his blogs and I thought he writes very well. Very Pinoy. With those family vacation picture and other topics from Edsa, Angel Locsin, to Mall of Asia and Pres. Noynoy etc. etc. This man can talk about anything.

I guess that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I can only guess who I will bump into in the next days. Imagine the drive, motivation, wisdom you get from these people. And I hope to meet more of their kind.

“All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.” ~Martin H. Fischer

Life Half Full

This title because I still want to do a lot of things. Aside from my daily demands and routines. Everyday, I would bump into ideas or thoughts that left me preoccupied practically the whole day, sometimes the whole week. My curiosity had led me, so far, to learning Photoshop, photography, origami, stage hosting, event coordination, cooking among other things. There are also days that I want to write a book, and other times when I like to master the art of singing in second voice, more like 2-part harmony. Although I have not mastered them yet, but at the very least, I can say that I have gained a bit of knowledge about them. Jack of all trades, but master of none, you say? Yes, in a sort of way.

But here’s what I learned: everyone has enough talents, unsurpassed gifts and phenomenal intelligence. You can create your own universe from one single thought. If you really want something, and if you have a solid grip on what you want, and are totally sure of what you want, you’ll climb walls, move mountains, cross rivers, swim oceans- just to get what you really want.

So?
Go ahead.
Know what you want.
And be unstoppable.