THE GIRL AND THE FLOWERS

There was once a young girl who dreamt of wearing the perfect ball gown, look all made up from head to toe. Lips of pink shade and eyes filled with the colors of the earth. She dreamt of having her first dance with a boy... that special boy. It would be a night to remember. A night that would fill her young life with joy and butterflies. The perfect prom night. …

#YolandaPH

Yolanda or worldly known as Haiyan came to and left Leyte, Philippines. What remained though are shattered homes and emotional distraught. Trauma lives on for the thousands who saw their lives be swept away and to the thousands who saw love ones be washed away. Hope remains nonetheless as the Filipinos hold hands and as help from different countries pour in. It is …

It was called many names and will be called many other. But to us, she is Yolanda.

Another storm threatens the stability of our country, the Philippines. More so, it has been predicted to be the strongest one to challenge the world. It was called many names and will be called many other. But to us, she is Yolanda. Her entrance was accompanied with strong gushing of wind making sturdy branches sway and bodies of water restless as the waves mo…

PAUSE AND RETREAT

We experience a lot of different things in our lives that affect the person that we are. So, time and again, it is good to take a pause- in form of retreat ideally- to reflect, reconnect and reassess ourselves, preferably in the eyes and guidance of the one true Source of everything.  I'm not the type who would do things on my own. As much as possible, I try…

Half Empty. Half Full

Imagine a glass being poured with wine. It fills the cup right up to the middle. Now step back and look at it again. What would your perspective be? Would you see it as half empty? Or would you agree that it is half full? If your answer is the former, let me express my deepest apology. I am sorry you see the world in a negative light. Know that I understand whe…

Holidays and Magnolia

It is soon the time of the year again- Christmas season! A much as adults enjoy this season, kids are really the top beneficiary of it- the abundant gifts from godparents, the gifts from Santa, the candy and chocolate overload and most of all more places for kids to run around and play their heart out! It was only last year when we headed to Magnolia …

Memory

As we go along living our lives, time and again, certain memories reach out to us once more. Some, take it in and use it as a tool to feel good. Other people, have no qualms reliving it again only to feel thankful for the present. But a certain few, take it out and wrap it around them- making it the reality. Neither of the three I mentioned are right nor wrong. No on…

Childhood

When Past And Present Collide I had the tips of my finger brush past things that formed bonds and friendships for the child that I was. It was serendipitous. It's as though I hold within the exact joy of a kid; the joy brought about by silliness and child play, the joy that would supply the rest of my lifetime with strength and smiles. Jackstone …

On life, On finding self, On loving fully.

One waking morning, while the chaos of my life revolved around me, I realized I had to practice what the wisdom-filled and the philosophers have been lecturing about for over hundreds of years now. I didn't want to wake up with 50 years of my life passed before me, and see myself to be a lost and bitter human being. After my last relationship which ended someti…

Hello, Erlindo "Doddie" Alvarado aka Dad

FRIENDS

Friends is an institution. I remember when my mom first forced us to watch a few episodes when I was about 10 or 11. Of course initially I didn't give much attention to it. I mean c'mon, what kid would want to watch grown ups sit all day at a coffee house chattering about nonsense. Each year afterwards however, I grew more and more in love with the show- fi…

Counting down to the next SUMMER.

Summer is almost over. Here I am, my ass pressed on a hard surface, contemplating how days were just thrown in the garbage. A waste. It knocked. It went by. It's gone. Time do not restrict us no matter the many times we use this as an excuse. We restrict time, putting it in a box so small even ants will sufocate. We move through that, refusing to get out of the b…

"If we seek something, that same thing is seeking us." -Aleph

The moment to read a certain book comes so perfectly. It speaks to you as you at the same time feel the desire to read it- a mutual understanding set in a timing so precise to the present state of your life. I never force myself to read a certain book just because. It may have a great story, may be written by a great author, may be much talked about or simply a perso…

My Super Non-Trad Mom

You may not be the traditional type of mother. You open us up to different religions, world views, even unworldly ones all the while allowing us to form our own belief system . As early as 5-7 yrs old, you let us watch movies like What dreams may come and you read to us spiritual books like Conversations with God and the likes. And doing so enabled us to find our ow…

Hashtag HALALAN 2013 Hashtag JUAN VOTE

The 2013 election is fast approaching, with only 5 days left to finalize voting list. Every election, most Filipinos rely on jingles/commercials/PR tricks of candidates. That, for me, is an unreliable basis for voting. Some places candidates base on name recall; who has a more known surname, who has a surname similar to well-known personalities, etc. Thankfully, most…

I am EGYPT

I am obsessed with my cat. I was never really a dog person to begin with although we have had 2 before (A poodle then a  beagle) and yes, I loved them like a family. Sadly, they weren't able to stay long enough here with us for me to be able to really appreciate the impact of having such family members. But again, of course, despite that, I loved them and they w…