A Frail but Strong Boy

A shabby and grungy boy was patiently standing along the sidewalk in front of a house. He was staring closely at the front door as if afraid to take a single blink and miss an important sighting. He does this every morning waiting for the door to open. A man from that door will hand him some bread or biscuits good enough to pacify his starving tummy.

The boy does not know his father. His mother has been away looking for good fortune somewhere leaving him to the care of his grandmother. Some heard that she has been sending money for the boy but obviously it was not good enough.

The boy used to stick around in a nearby sari-sari store, doing some errand for the owner in exchange for food to eat. Unfortunately, the store closed and the boy was forced to look for other means to feed his stomach. Then a man who has seen him since he was a child asked the boy to visit him every morning. He told the boy that he cannot promised to give him bread everyday and that he should understand. That he will just go with or without the bread and will not linger around his place. As much as possible this man will share some to this boy and for months they are both keeping their covenant quietly.

The man remembers his childhood every time he sees the boy. He used to roam around the streets without his pants just like this boy. He was not an orphan but he grew in poverty. Bigger children used to tease him because he has no pants to wear. He is still lucky because his parents are there to provide him shelter and enough food. His has been difficult but this boy's life is more troublesome.

Then came the first morning of the year 2014 and for the first time the boy was not there. Another morning passed and the boy was no where to be seen. The man learns that the boy was in the hospital. He picked and played firecrackers during the New Year's eve when a firecracker "Goodbye Philippines" accidentally exploded on his left hand. The boy's left arm has been cut half as a result of that disaster. A month after, the boy is back to his morning routine again. He waits patiently for the man to wake up and to find him just across his front door.

This boy is strong for he is able to withstand all his troubles at a young age. He plays, he laughs and he lives even if he is only six years old.

Where to Drive?

It's just my second day but I am already confused. Puzzled as to what should be the appropriate content of this blog.

For this blog to earn, a good friend told me to try "budget travel blogs". That would be difficult for my part because I enjoyed travelling so much that I tend to forget the budget details. Besides, I am not well traveled and do not have the luxury to indulge to such thrill and bold undertakings. Plus I am not that fussy with money. Ops! I may lose my current job with that confession.

I used to imagine myself as a local writer. That one day I will be writing the day-to-day adventures of fisher folks, carpenters, mothers, children and all personalities in the neighborhood that catches my interest. That I can capture their true to life stories in a book and share it to the rest of the world. We may not live like kings and queens in palaces but we are happy or even happier than royalties living in their grand fortress. Life is not about the material things you have, it is about God's presence and love.

As of now, I cannot decide on what road to drive and where to go. I cannot think of a good piece to blog that is why I end up sharing my sentiments. I even end up counting the words above to check if I am nearing the 500th mark. Unfortunately, I am still very far from the quota and I may not be able to make it tonight. But I am not giving up. Life still goes on!

My first Night with My Bro Home Broadband

It's late but I am still awake. My Bro is giving me the energy.

It has been my dream that one day, I could get a good internet connection so that I could update my blog daily. It's dream come true ladies and gentlemen! Thanks to God, our Almighty Father for this wonderful blessings. Let us pray for more blessings to come for all of us...

The plan is to get an online job to sustain and finance my online activity. I have no idea where to start. I will think of ways this coming weekend. Meanwhile, here is my first blog entry for 2014 and cheers for more blogs to come.

I read from one of my online subscriptions that to improve my writing skills I need to write at least 500 words everyday. Wow, let me count my words and see if I already had a hundred. Joking aside, I will give it a try. Five hundred words every night after office is a good challenge.

Time check is 10 o'clock and I am hungry. I am currently eating some biscuits while thinking of something to write. As a start I will probably write more about our family activities. We had fun travelling together to several places and I should be glad to share it here. The issue is that I have no audience yet. Haha! I need to market this blog but how? Maybe I will try facebook hoping that some of my friends can find time to check my world here. I can also pray for more beginner's luck. I am not sure if I could get a financial return from this blog. But writing is my passion and that makes every piece of this blog valuable. Each entry will sum up my happiness and lifetime fulfillment.

Funny that in spite of my passion to write I still end up as an accountant. My best friend once told me that she had a hard time discovering the area where her passion is. The dilemma is common to smart and intelligent person like her because they can excel in all area they went into. That was her issue before and she was now helping her children indentify their potentials and passion so that they will not end up confused like her. I shared this because in a way I was like her. I am not saying that I am smart and intelligent but what can I do? Birds of the same feather flock together. And besides that is a logical explanation on how I end up as an accountant even if I do not like numbers.

I should sleep now, my words may not sound real anymore. I maybe in a dream. But tomorrow is a new day, a new start and may it commence with a serene, immaculate and beautiful sunrise for everyone!

My Personal Vision, Mission and Core Values

Personal Vision:

To equip my mental, physical, spiritual and aesthetic aspects and use them as my survival suit in my journey into this world.

To share the wisdom gained and leave them as my legacy to this world.

To enjoy my life’s journey to the fullest; to smile whatever my circumstances are; to find a positive spark in every situation; to be of help as much as possible; to appreciate nature everyday; and to hold on to life as long as I can

Personal Mission:

I will continually develop my mental faculties and abilities through reading, listening, writing and teaching.


I will maintain an able and happy body by engaging into sports and eating a balance diet.

I will strive to know more our Creator, strengthen my faith and improve my personal relationship with Him by reflecting on His words, spreading love to the people around me and nourishing my aesthetic nature.


I will share the wisdom gained to others and use it to nurture their positive outlook in life.

Core Values:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith

Know more about my Creator

Bestow my trust and confidence unto Him

Believe in the goodness of mankind

Trust that my wishes and my dreams will come true

That there will be light at the end of the tunnel

Love

Love unconditionally

Love God above all things

Give happiness, harmony and peace to my family and friends

Respect and show concern to my fellow human being

Conserve the environment and take care of the fauna and flora

Integrity

Stand, do and preserve what is right

Accept, amend and take accountability when wrong

Be self-reliant and responsible

Keep a good sense

Stay cool and composed

Payag

One stormy night, mama gathered all of us in our living room as she wanted us to sleep all together. She was so afraid that the huge tree in our backyard gives in and hit our house. We were all excited, 'though, about sleeping together as that meant endless story telling.

Mama told us that when she was a child, my grandfather used to gather them all in a "payag" (small nipa hut) during a storm. The payag had no floor so they had to sleep on the ground, and it was built so low so that wind will just pass over it. Grandpa told them that if the storm crushes the hut they can still survive because the materials were lighter compared to their house. It was, however, so cold inside the payag and with water coming in, they all got soaked.

My grandfather owned a lot of payags. One of them was built beside his house just like what my mother and her siblings own now. The rest of the payags were built in Grandpa's farms which were used as resting places after his hardwork in the farm. Grandpa was an excellent farmer such that most landowners in our barrio preferred to hire him over others. He had been farming all his lifetime so he had also built countless payags.

Payag is still part of our daily lives now. Owning a payag runs in the family. We all love to spend our summer afternoons in our cool payag. It is a place where the neighborhood gather together to chat, rest, play and feast... yes, feast! There are times when our neighborhood cook “otan” (vegetable soup). They gather all the vegetables they can get. Usually, they get banana hearts, coconuts, jackfruits and even bamboo shoots. There are also lots of green leafy vegetables available in our area which they can use in cooking otan. After cooking, they bring in dried fish, ginamos and bahaw to the payag. They all eat together with laughter and merriment.

We also do our chapel preparations in the payag from planning to execution.

My father, too, celebrates his birthdays in the payag. Actually, he has no choice. He wants to cook carabao meat on his birthdays but my mother did not like the smell of it. She did not allow father to cook it inside the house and even use our utensils. Good thing that our neighbors volunteered to cook it for father using their own utensils. All in all, the celebration ends up as a memorable bonding as it brings us more closer and united.