Musings

Thankful at this moment I arrived safe for my flight back to Manila from Cagayan De Oro. Typhoon Gener is sending me hopeless vibes just this morning but I said to myself “There is NO WAY I am gonna be stranded here for another day as I am already missing the flood and traffic in Manila!” Cagayan de Oro is like a chunk of Manila but my trip was full of stories of people and places to write about. Please give me several days to make another blog post about it on my off. I can’t wait to share you about these people I met: Hans, Philipp, Charlie, Rene and his wife. All of their stories have something to do with the word “love”. Sounds cheesy but I will prove to you theother definitions of this word! All my life I used to be this shy type girl so I am trying to blend with as many as like-minded people to talk about life and some shit (pardon my word). You know sometimes you have to learn how to use this wordif not you will be left behind. The girl sitting next to me in the flight was asking me what am I gonna do there, I said I just wanna listen to the birds chirping right above the trees from my window and I am longing to be in a strange place alone again.

Cagayan De Oro and Vigan, Here I Come!

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Got two local trips lined up and trying to squeeze everything else in between. Whew! Ok as I mentioned in my previous posts I came across the idea of travelling when I met people who are really into travelling since last year. Anna from Canada said she learned so much about our country after I brought her to Intramuros and was hesitant to bring her to Rizal Park because I was thinking she might get bored but she loved those students filling the park doing their lessons, preparing for their dance numbers and so forth. Marco from Spain whose have so many projects about the historical ties of his and our country, I just hope he finds time to bring it to reality or better find someone who can do it because these ideas are amazing. Mike from Switzerland  who upon learning that he has a lot of excess baggage his sister filled his suitcases with second hand clothes, baby and school supplies which he was giving these all throughout his trip to the people he met. Spell efforts!

BLOG UPDATES and A BIT OF ME

One thing that I would always remember about iBlog8 Philippine Blogging Summit is a blog should have a personality coming from its owner. It should not just contain information but feelings otherwise what difference does it gonna make from a plain website? So please allow me to share with you updates a about this blog and a moderated bit of me.

A few days ago I got a direct message from @weirdkatt on Twitter about a topic he wanted my views about. First thing that came to my mind is, why me? He is the blogger of Filipino Scribbles and Alas Filipinas, topics about heritage and culture. I quickly scoured his blogs and found out that his posts are about local documentaries equipped with well –researched topics about history and stuff mostly written in Spanish language. While I also blog about history, mine is the lighter version one that only touches the practicality and its essence of what we Filipinos are today. He said when he typed the keywords “heritage + tourism + filipino” my blog is on Google’s first page.

Jai Alai Building and the Jai Alai Game

One of the finest Art Deco buildings in Asia and one of Manila’s best structures, the Jai Alai stadium was demolished on July 15, 2000 commanded by then Mayor of Manila, Lito Atienza. An Architecture graduate and allegedly a regular bettor of Jai Alai, he said a court justice will replace the site but it was NEVER done. This four storey building located along Taft Avenue was noted more of gambling, crime and prostitution rather than its sleek, cylindrical glass front to convey that the world’s fastest sport in the world was held here. It was while taking my Spanish language class last year at Instituto Cervantes Manila I noticed that this Jai Alai game is played a few steps away from the school, in Casino Español de Manila. Out of curiosity I decided to interview these people who play the game. Are they still the same kinds of players who do this out of money or pleasure maybe? 

Three Hundred Years of Philippine Maps from 1598 to 1898

"One of the most interesting facts about Carta hydrographica y chorographica de las Islas Filipinas map is it included the previously named Bajo de Masinloc or now called as Scarborough Shoal (often called Panatag Shoal) as part of Zambales. Since the dispute of China claiming that Scarborough Shoal is theirs is growing intense day by day, maybe we can let them go back and scan their history books and ours as well and let history be the judge. Dr. Leovino at the end said that it is sad that Spain is always and only portrayed through Rizal's novel in the 19th as always the villain and the colonizer. This is not true at all. He said."

Social Media and Faith

"I was adding Facebook friends like crazy because I want a good share of readership to this blog. I want to add every single relative I know, every former classmate, coworker and guys I am interested with. I see my Facebook list as a market not as a friends list anymore. I was trying to build a different persona out of my posts. I was trying to impress the whole world when I only wanted to impress someone through my many status."


If there's one book that I least read -  it is the bible and if there's one topic that I have nothing much to talk about  - it is faith.But I don't think this makes me a lesser person nor a greater person. I am still in the process of getting into these stuff. Yesterday I was walking in the mall and got so taken by the sound of a loud band from a Christian gathering. Yes I am born Catholic but I am a very open minded person. I have joined this group sometime ago not wanting to know which one is best but to check what do they have and what they don't have in comparison.I went inside slowly and sat down. It is very good timing that the introduction of the topic given by the pastor which everyone can relate is social media. He shared about a study of people's behavior about it.  How we are connected to a vast information, authority and people is a priceless privilege. But there are two negative things that arise to this connectivity: we have become shallow and lonely.

Found an Almost Five Year Old Email in my Old Inbox

I was checking my old email inbox I am using back in college days when the only websites I know are Yahoo and Friendster. Now that I have Gmail and Outlook account I rarely open this yahoo email and it is now dominated by thousand of spams and virus-stricken emails. I scroll down slowly and I found an email sent in 2007. It was an email with an MS Word attachment. It was one of the last emails sent to me by a seminarian friend who was studying for priesthood in Vatican City, Italy before we continued keeping in touch in Yahoo messenger, on Facebook and not anymore. I am just amazed how our online technology plays an integral role in our lives and how it preserves memories. 

Preserving the Chabacano Language of Zamboanga

Chabacano or chavacano language is often referred as “español de cocina” or “lenguaje del calle” according to history books and  research papers of international linguists in their studies. It is composed of 60% Spanish words but the grammar rule is based on the remaining 40% which is a combination of words from local dialects such as Visaya, Tagalog, Pampangueno, Cebuano etc. The “chabacano” word in Spanish literally means “broken, vulgar or street”. It is one of the oldest Spanish-based creole (a language derived from two or more languages or dialects combined) in the world. Chabacano language was born in many parts of the Philippines like in Ternate, Cavite, Cavite, Basilan, Jolo, Cotabato etc. because of the long presence of the people from Spain and Mexico before. Zamboanga is the most noted place since this is the place where the language is best preserved. 

How To Do the Business Registration Process in Manila, Philippines

Lately I have been posting a few times my very "much publicized" inclination to offer local tour packages in this blog. Next thing that that came to my mind is how to do the business registration process in Manila where I am based. I am done taking up another workshop from a DTI accredited tour operator and she is currently my tie up until I find my own suppliers and contacts. So when Full Suite announced they will be conducting a workshop. Heck this is all I need further!

Entitled "Setting up a Creative Business", the workshop's speakers are the founders of Portfolio MNL. Trina and Rina are the well - accomplished entrepreneurs behind this idea under the creative industry. They aim that their website not only a bridge for their clients but also for artists with portfolios to be found by employers thus helping each other.

A Review about Manila Social Media Day 2012

First time I heard about The Philippines is the social media capital of the world, not sure If I feel proud because I am proud of it or it is only a title. Anyone who is connected to any of my social media accounts may notice always in my About section "I am a social media addict." I could probably not think of any period  in my life of enjoying it better than in this social media era. 

Jose Javier Reyes or Direk Joey, a local movie director is the guest speaker of  Manila Social Media Day 2012 held at Tea 101 Quezon City. He started his talk by saying he has 16,500+ Twitter followers and 5,400+ Facebook friends. That in this social media infused life the word "friend" has become so cheap. it is very easy to call someone a friend. In fact it has become a verb and even an international dictionary has added the  word "unfriend" officially to its list. Like me he also can't start and end his day without checking his Facebook and Twitter. He's got a blog as well and he does it seriously. Then he started becoming conscious about what will he post always thinking of which will have the best appeal and will have the most like or retweet from his friends and followers. That it came to a point he felt that who is he in person and who is he online are now two different personas.