As I realized that it was just a dream I decided to check on our doors. And good that I did because I found out that I had forgotten to lock a door leading to my room.
Did my subconscious alert me or was it just a coincidence?
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Alerted by a dream
As I realized that it was just a dream I decided to check on our doors. And good that I did because I found out that I had forgotten to lock a door leading to my room.
Did my subconscious alert me or was it just a coincidence?
Sunday, January 24, 2016
A lesson from Jack Ma
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| photo taken from the internet |
We may admire and envy his success now but I believe what we can pick up from his story of his success is how he also had his fair share of failures and rejections before - and the importance of being resilient and staying the course to your dream.
This is my toast to Jack Ma, whose story inspires and encourages me to continue pursuing my own dream.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Priveleged mammals
People are supposed to be intelligent beings with the ability to care, protect and even make the world a better place.
Sometimes however, by our behavior we simply show we are nothing but privileged mammals who know no better.
We know what is right and what is good but just the same we go for what is simply gratifying. We litter, we pollute and destroy our environment.
But when nature fights back and hit us, we call ourselves victims.
Yes we are victims. But our aggressor is not nature but our selves.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Promoting our local fruit wines
Among the gifts I received last Christmas was a bottle of Bignay fruit wine.
I am not a wine connoisseur so I will not deign speak about its quality. What I wonder though is if locally produced fruit wines can have a steady market to make their production viable and a worthy investment.
Some ideas I thought of while pondering how to create and sustain a market for local fruit wines are:
1. create "bubble wine" which is like the artificial caviars produced from molecular gastronomy techniques. This is merely a novelty which will eventually wear off but at least it would have stirred interest for the wine.
2. create liqueurs and syrups for cocktail drinks
3. make them into cooking wines and salad vinegars
4.promote local fruit wines as official "toasting" or ceremonial wines
5. look for and tout their health benefits
6. improve packaging and promote as tourist souvenir item
I am not a wine connoisseur so I will not deign speak about its quality. What I wonder though is if locally produced fruit wines can have a steady market to make their production viable and a worthy investment.
Some ideas I thought of while pondering how to create and sustain a market for local fruit wines are:
1. create "bubble wine" which is like the artificial caviars produced from molecular gastronomy techniques. This is merely a novelty which will eventually wear off but at least it would have stirred interest for the wine.
2. create liqueurs and syrups for cocktail drinks
3. make them into cooking wines and salad vinegars
4.promote local fruit wines as official "toasting" or ceremonial wines
5. look for and tout their health benefits
6. improve packaging and promote as tourist souvenir item
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Paalam at pagbati
Ang bilis ng panahon. Isang taon na naman ang magtatapos ilang oras na lang.
Saan kaya tayo dadalin ng bagong taon?
Sa harap ng mga hamon na kumakaharap sa atin, hindi tayo walang magagawa at di tayo dapat walang gawin.
Ang ating pagpapasya ang magtatakda ng ating kapalaran.
Ang ating pagkilos ang magiging kasaysayan.
Malaya tayo na isipin lang ang pagsulong ng ating sariling kapakanan. Natural lang iyan sa mga hayup na kabilang tayo bilang nilalang.
Ngunit ang mga nakakaunawa ng pagkakakawing natin at ng ating interes sa isa't isa at handang iwala ang sarili sa pagsulong ng kapakanan ng pangkalahatan ang siyang mag-aangat sa atin hiwalay sa hayup - mikrobyo o matsing- at ituring ang ating uri na mga matalinong nilalang.
Paalam 2015! Mabuhay 2016!
Friday, December 25, 2015
Peace and Joy in a Healthy World! Merry Christmas
Whatever Christmas people prefer to embrace today, Merry Christmas to all and my wish of peace and joy in a healthy world.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Laguna loot
I don't know what there is in gray skies and wet surroundings that gives me a feeling of contentment and almost silent joy. But I am not complaining.
My trip to UP Los Banos coincided with typhoon Nona. Still I was able to meet the people I went there to meet and on top of that, I got some unexpected loot: Bignay wine, red Katuray seedling, hot pepper seeds from Bacolod and Israel.
Salamat po!!!
Hopefully some project ideas that I picked up or were inspired by the people I have met in UPLB will also materialize.
- Kusina Kem
- urban gardening livelihood project
- natatapong yaman recovery project
- living letras y figuras project
My trip to UP Los Banos coincided with typhoon Nona. Still I was able to meet the people I went there to meet and on top of that, I got some unexpected loot: Bignay wine, red Katuray seedling, hot pepper seeds from Bacolod and Israel.
Salamat po!!!
Hopefully some project ideas that I picked up or were inspired by the people I have met in UPLB will also materialize.
- Kusina Kem
- urban gardening livelihood project
- natatapong yaman recovery project
- living letras y figuras project
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Giving meditation a chance
If not for the many scientific studies on the positive results of meditation, I would tend to dismiss this activity as in the category of quack science.
Meditation is said to be able to lower blood pressure, help relieve stress, increase mindfulness and contentment etc. But the clincher for me is the claim that it can somehow also work to cure depression. I can not say if this is true but I won't be losing anything if I try. I am hoping that it works - this time.
Actually I have been acquainted with meditation way back in high school when I took a special class in transcendental meditation. It was really just out of curiosity that I tried it plus the claim that those who practice TM can even achieve levitation. Wow!
But I soon realized that this was folly including the ritual of having an offering of fruit and some other things that I don't remember anymore to a guru. After trying it a few times, I simply dropped of from doing it and I treated it with benign skepticism.
But thanks to a Dan Harris video on YouTube, I was reacquainted with it again and it was presented without the dross of extraneous and unnecessary rituals that put me off it before. (Dan Harris was a news presenter in a major US tv network when he suffered an anxiety attack while delivering the news)
At its basic, meditation is nothing more than a mental shutdown while focusing on one's breathing.
Very simple indeed but the result has profound effects on one's mind and brain which can be scientifically monitored. Enough to make me try meditation again. This time with no expectation of attaining superpower abilities but simply focus, peace and contentment.
Meditation is said to be able to lower blood pressure, help relieve stress, increase mindfulness and contentment etc. But the clincher for me is the claim that it can somehow also work to cure depression. I can not say if this is true but I won't be losing anything if I try. I am hoping that it works - this time.
Actually I have been acquainted with meditation way back in high school when I took a special class in transcendental meditation. It was really just out of curiosity that I tried it plus the claim that those who practice TM can even achieve levitation. Wow!
But I soon realized that this was folly including the ritual of having an offering of fruit and some other things that I don't remember anymore to a guru. After trying it a few times, I simply dropped of from doing it and I treated it with benign skepticism.
But thanks to a Dan Harris video on YouTube, I was reacquainted with it again and it was presented without the dross of extraneous and unnecessary rituals that put me off it before. (Dan Harris was a news presenter in a major US tv network when he suffered an anxiety attack while delivering the news)
At its basic, meditation is nothing more than a mental shutdown while focusing on one's breathing.
Very simple indeed but the result has profound effects on one's mind and brain which can be scientifically monitored. Enough to make me try meditation again. This time with no expectation of attaining superpower abilities but simply focus, peace and contentment.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Araw ni Bonifacio/ Araw ng mga Bayani
Marapat lang na gunitain ng magkasabay ang araw ni Bonifacio at mga bayani. Sana lamang ang pag gunita ng araw na ito ay hindi magtapos sa pag-aalay ng bulaklak o sa isang ritwal ng paggunita kundi maunawaan natin kung bakit ang nagawa ng ating mga bayani ay mahalaga sa ating buhay ngayon.
Lagi kong sinasabi, ang araw na kung kalian natin matutunan na magparangal sa ating mga bayani ay ang siyang araw ng ating paglaya.
Para sa akin din, hindi lamang ang mga bayani noong mga nakaraang panahon ng pananakop ang dapat nating gunitain ngunit maging ng mga bayani ng ating panahon at henerasyon.
Tatlo sa mga bayaning aking ginugunita ay sina Filomena Tatlonghari, Clarissa Ocampo at si Antonio Calipe Go.
Lagi kong sinasabi, ang araw na kung kalian natin matutunan na magparangal sa ating mga bayani ay ang siyang araw ng ating paglaya.
Para sa akin din, hindi lamang ang mga bayani noong mga nakaraang panahon ng pananakop ang dapat nating gunitain ngunit maging ng mga bayani ng ating panahon at henerasyon.
Tatlo sa mga bayaning aking ginugunita ay sina Filomena Tatlonghari, Clarissa Ocampo at si Antonio Calipe Go.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
A calamity named El Nino
Many of us are familiar with natural disasters like typhoons, storm surges, earthquakes and earthquake induced tsunamis and even volcanic eruptions
But a disaster that most of us are not aware of is drought induced by El Nino, the name given to the phenomenon of sea currents becoming hotter than normal.
With climate change, this El Nino phenomenon can only be more intense and more frequent. In fact there is one occurring now. What I am worried about is its intensity and duration.
A prolonged drought in our part of the country will definitely be disastrous for all of us. Our agriculture will suffer as well as our energy dependent industries. And we might have to undergo extreme water and even electricity rationing.
When we talk of natural disasters, we tend to think of typhoons and bad wet weather. But I wonder if we have sufficiently prepared for its extreme opposite which is a severe and prolonged dry spell that can be just as harsh and calamitous.
But a disaster that most of us are not aware of is drought induced by El Nino, the name given to the phenomenon of sea currents becoming hotter than normal.
With climate change, this El Nino phenomenon can only be more intense and more frequent. In fact there is one occurring now. What I am worried about is its intensity and duration.
A prolonged drought in our part of the country will definitely be disastrous for all of us. Our agriculture will suffer as well as our energy dependent industries. And we might have to undergo extreme water and even electricity rationing.
When we talk of natural disasters, we tend to think of typhoons and bad wet weather. But I wonder if we have sufficiently prepared for its extreme opposite which is a severe and prolonged dry spell that can be just as harsh and calamitous.
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