Thursday, January 29, 2009

ANGINA PECTORIS

Angina pectoris is simply a "strangling feeling in the chest" but it is not that simple for it is actually an exacerbating chest pain that may come suddenly without actual provocation. It happens when there is lack of blood supply and therefore lack of oxygen to the muscles of the heart. There are many possible causes all resulting to a condition called ischemia that could eventually lead to a heart attack.

The attack could be caused by fatigue or stress. When it happens the person affected needs to relax and most of the time medicines that dilates the blood vessels to increase the blood flow at least temporarily. When unchecked and unattended it could lead to death.

A simple suppressed idea or thought or anger is sometimes enough to initiate the attack of angina, that is why mental ventilation or mental catharsis is often life-saving. But there are occasions when it is not easy to ventilate simply because it is not always easy to be truthful when one knows that the truth could result to more problems than good. So you suppress it and put yourself at risk.

There must be a way for release and this is when shouting, screaming or cursing could be very helpful. In my garden I have a Scream Out Corner where one could express and symbolically throw away all his emotional, psychological and spiritual baggage by just expressing freely his feelings. After a while he feels relieved.

In your own private rooms it is important to have a little corner where you can confront your problems frontally anytime. Sometimes a pillow is enough dummy to represent the person you want to curse or shout at. It could also serve as a shoulder-to-cry-on. Just be sure your shouting and cursing won't reach the ears of your neighbor. Articles belonging to the person you want to confront can many times absorb completely everything that you expressed out. The above procedures are too simple but to effective to shield you from a massive heart attack.

Added to this is how you manage your mental attitude. When there are problems there are people involved and situations giving rise to the problem. If possible, change the person or change the situation. If both cannot be done, change your mental attitude about the problem. Know how to forgive. See everything positively from a wider perspective and you can say goodbye to Angina pectoris.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

When Barack Obama was still a toddler I was the moderator of an Inquiry Movement where I dared young boys and girls to ask me any question under the sun. All of a sudden a young boy bravely ventured to ask: "Sir, what do you call the elevator when it is going down?" I thought I was cornered but I quickly gathered my composure and confidently answered him: "It is still called the elevator only it is going down".

He seemingly accepted my answer but only after being encouraged to introduce a new query:"Sir, what does the wind do when it doesn't blow?" It took me longer time to respond... Well, it changes its name into air".

I was reminded of the incident because now that Barack Obama is already the President of the the Superpower, the old questions were still answered the old ways. That child who asked me then maybe a senior citizen by now but the elevator is still the elevator whether going up or going down. The wind only changes its name into air then to wind again depending upon its "mood".

As if nothing has really change. So the economy is going down. Who cares? Like the elevator it will soon go up as there are people who will find ways to make it go up. So what else is new? Why Panic? Even the Intelligence and Charisma of Obama with the added good fortunes brought by the Chinese Earth Ox won't change the natural cycle of Nature and of Life.

We cannot expect Obama and the Chinese Earth Ox to fix everything around us. They are not Superpowers who could use magic and Viola! everything is Ok. If we could all do good things to anybody who need them whenever we have a chance, this world will not go to the dogs.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

COLD FRONT INVASION

COLD FRONT INVASION

After all the discomforts, hassles and debates about the global warming and its ill effects, now comes with a more horrible threat the invading Cold Front. As I am writing this the temperature in Benguet is 6 degree Celsius, In Baguio it is 7.5, in Tagaytay 16 and in Alfonso 18 degrees C.

It is thrilling to see pretty girls in their colorful sweaters still shivering while keeping their hands cross over their chest. Boys are doing nasty things to warm themselves while exhibiting their stylish jackets of all kinds. Thick shawls and mufflers of varied color combination are all out giving rainbow tint to the environment.

There are already some reported deaths due to ailments exacerbated and made worse by very low temperature such as pneumonia and the likes. Old folks are more vulnerable.

The news, however, are getting hotter and hotter with so many controversies here and there. Government officials are seemingly confused on solving the many problems affecting almost all levels of society

With the way the cold front is invading disastrously many regions of the Archipelago I won’t be surprised if we wake up one day all frozen to eternity.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

I woke up 4:30 a.m. in preparation for the Early Mass to express my Thanksgiving for my Birthday. When I went to Church it was closed and nobody could explain why. One thought loudly: “possibly it will be said in the afternoon after the Novena for the Infant Jesus”

I went home, took my breakfast and planned what to do next. There was fine rain shower and it was pretty cold. I took my blue jacket and decided to go to the Net Café but when I came out I saw the Church’s door was open. So, I entered, offered a prayer of thanksgiving and was about to go to the Net Café when I realized it was already 9:00 O’clock so I went straight to the bus and decided to go to Robinson Dasmariñas.

While in the bus I received a text message from Prof. Jeffrey Lubang telling me that the Cavite Studies group was coming to see me in Alfonso for the finalization of my book. I suggested that they meet me at Robinson, have lunch with me and proceed to Alfonso after. We had light lunch at Greenwich. It was quite a very thrilling way of celebrating my birthday though actually I already promised myself that if I would meet anybody I personally knew I would invite him/her to lunch with me.

I celebrated my Special Birthday with my Special guests: Professor Aquino Ilano Garcia, Professor Jeffry Lubang and Professor Nerissa Monson Villanueva, all of Cavite Studies Center of De La Salle Dasmariñas who are helping me publish my book TINGKORAW: Alfonso’s History and Legend.

We then proceeded to Indang to Barangay Lumapong where an adopted child of Prof. Garcia was studying. We then ended up in Allfonso where I offered them brewed coffee, fruit cake and my secret tea. It was indeed a memorable celebration with lively intellectual discussions all the time.

Earlier I have already acknowledged early greeters composed of family members and friends. Many haven’t forgotten my Birthday which falls on the Feast of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. What more can I ask?

Tonight my wife is probably coming home as usual every Friday Night and if lady luck is kind and the weather is cooperative there could yet be an extension of the celebration even at my open terrace together with our helpers.

Monday, January 5, 2009

HOVERING MOTH

HOVERING MOTH

Last night while I was watching the Television, a small brown Moth with white band suddenly appeared as if directly from the T.V. screen. It hovered around my head, then around the room and back, this time circling around my legs. It was repeated three times. It did not affect me at all as I just protected my eyes not to get in touch with it because I knew the “dusts” from its wings could injure my vision.

I did not associate it with any superstitious beliefs nor did I try to find any esoteric explanation. I was just wondering how the Moth almost as big as my palm penetrated the window screen. The scientist in me was again awakened. Now, knowing that the Moth’s larvae survives by eating cloths I presumed that the larvae developed among the clothes inside the house and matured there that night that as a “gown-up” moth it need not penetrate the window screen because it grew big inside the house.

But my mind was carried back a few days ago when I saw a white kitten with golden patches inside our fully-screened house (pls. read the Vanishing Kitten), that puzzled me totally up to now. And how about the snake that almost fell on my head while I was brushing my teeth one day?(pls. read the Slithering Devil). These all happened in a fully screen-protected abode.

I tried to evaluate the positive symbolism of the animals that I found inside the house on different occasions. The snake, even during the olden times was already associated with healing and expansion of the consciousness. They were used as guardians of temples and other sacred places. It is said that Mucalinda, the supposed King of Snakes, shielded the Buddha from the elements while in meditation.

The cat on the other hand is a symbol of fertility, bawdy celebration,
sensual pleasure as it is also considered a Sacred Animal. The Moth, aside from its good association with the departed also symbolizes nature and everything beautiful and positive.

I will not be surprised if one of these days I enter my house or wake up in the morning and find an Elephant or a Tiger and yes, an Ox inside. I will greet them politely because I know they shall be bringing good things into my life

FOLLOW-UP:

Two days after when I entered the bathroom I saw the Moth on the wall, its wings tattered, I thought it was dead already. But when I opened the shower it quickly flew and hovered over my head. I opened the door to encourage it to come out but instead it proceeded through an opening leading to ceiling. Well...

Thursday, January 1, 2009

VANISHING KITTEN

VANISHING KITTEN

Long before the mass firing of explosives on New Year’s Eve I was already exploding wild with madness. It all happened when my driver, two gardeners plus the “yaya” and the two helpers of my daughter all gathered at our stockroom which served as my gardeners’ sleeping quarter. They all came from one place in Iloilo and were somehow bloodily related to one another. They were having a reunion of sort which I tolerated except that nobody was minding the kitchen and no one was left at the open terrace where we were supposed to hold our Midnight gathering. I composed myself in an attempt to greet the New Year cold and calm.

On New Year’s Day I woke up and found again the mess of the night still unattended while the six supposed helpers were again gathered together at the servant’s quarter. I spent the whole New Year’s Day trying to keep my temper on hold just to keep the spirit of the day Happy and blessed if not prosperous.

Night time came and while I was watching the television on the second floor I sensed a kitten meowing at the lowest step of the stairs going up. I wondered how a kitten could be there because all our doors and windows connected to the outside were screened. I was forced to investigate and there again all the helpers together, leaving the door at the laundry area open where the kitten possibly entered. From there it was possible the kitten forced its way to the maid’s room then through an open window in between the room and the working area it passed and now meowing its way to the second floor.

I tried to chase the kitten out by opening the door to the terrace but the kitten just vanished like magic. With a broom I tried to clear all corners and nooks but no kitten appeared. I presumed it passed out through the door at the laundry area. I returned to my T.V. watching trying hard to keep my composure but the white kitten with golden patches was there again at the lowest step of the stairs. I closed the window in between the Maid’s room and the working place to be sure the kitten was caught inside so I could find it easier.

All my investigating expertise failed to find the little cat in an area 4x4 square meters with only a refrigerator, a small table and an antique cabinet where their under spaces could be a hiding place.

That was the time I thought of my sister who died about a year ago. When alive she was so mad at cats and kittens to the point of pouring them with boiling water when she saw them around. Could the kitten be a reincarnation of my sister because according to what I read from the Bhagavad Gita of the Sanskrit religion, a dying person reincarnates into whatever living animal was on his mind at the hour of death.

But that was going too far … I went to bed knowing that the kitten was still trapped inside and could anytime go upstairs where we were sleeping . So I just closed the doors of the rooms so that should the kitten find its way up it could only roam back and fort on the corridor and the small receiving area.

From the depth of my sleep I was awakened by the meowing of the kitten while walking to on fro at the narrow corridor. I found it impractical to leave my bed to chase a tiny meowing kitten. But it was my wife who was awakened scared to death at 2:00 a.m. when she suddenly discovered a kitten lying by her side that suddenly jumped away. It happened because when she relived herself at the comfort room the kitten quickly had a chance to enter her room.

It was 3:30 a.m. when I was writing this, fully aware that the kitten was still inside the house because it scattered everything on top of my table but it was nowhere to be found. Then I heard it meowing again at the working area. I did my best to find it but my best was just not enough. After a greatly disturbed almost sleepless night should I say Happy New Year?

FOLLOW-UP:January 3, 2009

Like an apparition that appeared from nowhere, the cute, tiny white kitten with golden patches was gone like a cloud carried by the wind to a far, far away no man's land.