GHOSTLY DOORBELL
I bought a doorbell, the one that is wireless with a button to change the more than a dozen melodies and another button to change the volume. With it is a separate little plastic boxlike cage for the battery of the button that triggers the ringing of the bell.
I bought it not to use as a doorbell but rather as a call bell by which I can always carry the trigger button with me while the doorbell itself is attached to a permanent electric outlet.
After using it for several days the trigger button became out of order and couldn’t be repaired. So, I just plugged the doorbell to an outlet at the head side of my bed where I could trigger it by directly pushing the melody button anytime.
One night without touching the trigger button the doorbell rang. I didn’t mind it thinking that dust particles could have triggered it or perhaps droplets of rain entering the window could have caused a spark that triggered the melody.
Another night a few days later I was awakened by a non-stop playing of the melody by itself so I just detached the unit from the outlet to stop it then returned it again for the power. I got used to it that the taking out of the unit from the outlet and then returning it has become a routine.
But one rainy night I was awakened by the voice of a shouting boy coming as if from a radio but to my wonderment it was from the doorbell. I felt a kind of fear all over me so I covered myself with the protective white light of Christ through meditation to calm myself.
I cannot stop wondering how it happened. It was 12:14 in the morning. Did my doorbell pick a radio frequency? But how??? For my peace of mind I completely detached the doorbell from the outlet hoping that in that condition it won’t ring anymore.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
MONTEMARIA
Excerpts from an article by Roger Pe on Spiritual Tourism (Inquirer: August 21, 2010)
MONTEMARIA, a site occupying 33 hectares at Bgy. Amuyong, Alfonso, Cavite is now being built. When finished it will be a community of chapels and rosary gardens to be linked together by a 10-meter wide procession road of about 1 kilometer long.
A giant statue of St. Michael the Archangel shall welcome visitors and pilgrims to the pilgrimage site occupying around 15 hectares. There shall be 5 chapels interconnected by spiritual gardens. As planned the following chappels shall be erected: La Scala Santa Chapel, House of Mary Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Perpetual Adoration Chapel, the Chapel of the Santo Niño and most of all the 4-story Neo-classical Podium on top of it shall be the 101 meter tall statue of Mary, Mother of the Poor, supposedly the largest shrine in thw world dedicated to Mary.
Montemaria shall be an international pilrimage destination for Christians travellers and Catholic pilgrims. The site will allow pilgrims to experience the Lord's greatness through its commitment to poverty alleviation and development program.
The whole idea became possible through the kindness of San Miguel Corporation that donated what used to be the site of Magnolia Dairy and Poultry Farm.
MONTEMARIA, a site occupying 33 hectares at Bgy. Amuyong, Alfonso, Cavite is now being built. When finished it will be a community of chapels and rosary gardens to be linked together by a 10-meter wide procession road of about 1 kilometer long.
A giant statue of St. Michael the Archangel shall welcome visitors and pilgrims to the pilgrimage site occupying around 15 hectares. There shall be 5 chapels interconnected by spiritual gardens. As planned the following chappels shall be erected: La Scala Santa Chapel, House of Mary Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Perpetual Adoration Chapel, the Chapel of the Santo Niño and most of all the 4-story Neo-classical Podium on top of it shall be the 101 meter tall statue of Mary, Mother of the Poor, supposedly the largest shrine in thw world dedicated to Mary.
Montemaria shall be an international pilrimage destination for Christians travellers and Catholic pilgrims. The site will allow pilgrims to experience the Lord's greatness through its commitment to poverty alleviation and development program.
The whole idea became possible through the kindness of San Miguel Corporation that donated what used to be the site of Magnolia Dairy and Poultry Farm.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
TECHNIQUE OF AGING
TECHNIQUE OF AGING
Minus early death, aging is a reality that every individual has to experience or realize either happily or horribly.
Many people, especially women do not want to get old. They do everything, from acting young to applying rejuvenating cosmetics or surgical interventions to the point of changing completely their God-given appearance.
They want to look young and force themselves to feel young no matter if in the course they look like retardates or mannequins with permanent smiles and eyebrows.
Next to fear of death is fear of growing old, yet anybody who needs to live a full life cannot escape aging. We might as well prepare for it.
In attempts to keep young at least in appearance, many get lost in the wilderness of cosmetology and worse than getting old normally they most of the time remain horribly young.
The technique for graceful aging is to find the pathway to the Fountain of Youth by following a certain habit formula.
F-ind joy everyday,anywhere. If you are resourceful enough there are so
many sources of joy available all around you wherever you are.
O-bserve things around you and be curious about them. There are a lot of
interesting things happening that you fail to notice everyday.
U-nite with lively people. If you only meet "your kind", you will only end up
comparing notes about your problems, disappointments and ailments.
N-urture your health by eating the right food, doing the right exercise and
maintaining a good mental attitude in life.
T-hink positive. No matter how unfortunate you think you are, there are
others more unfortunate than you. Always look at the better side of
anything.
A-lways look forward and upward. The past is gone and must be buried
with the past. Don't be a slave of your past misfortunes.
I-nsist on the true, the good and the beautiful. Your opinion and attitude
about anything help in seeing the reality about them.
N-ever think old. Age is only a quality of the mind. You are only as old as
you think. Age doesn't matter if matter doesn't age.
O-bey the Laws of Nature. Live in moderation.
F-ind something different to do every now and then. Don't live in boredom.
Y-earn to learn again. There are always new things to know. Look for
them.
O-pen your mind always. A closed mind is a dead mind.
U-se your common sense which unfortunately is now very uncommon.
T-ry your sense of play. There are always interesting games for you.
H-ave a good sense of humor. Laugh at yourself and make other's laugh
with you.
Minus early death, aging is a reality that every individual has to experience or realize either happily or horribly.
Many people, especially women do not want to get old. They do everything, from acting young to applying rejuvenating cosmetics or surgical interventions to the point of changing completely their God-given appearance.
They want to look young and force themselves to feel young no matter if in the course they look like retardates or mannequins with permanent smiles and eyebrows.
Next to fear of death is fear of growing old, yet anybody who needs to live a full life cannot escape aging. We might as well prepare for it.
In attempts to keep young at least in appearance, many get lost in the wilderness of cosmetology and worse than getting old normally they most of the time remain horribly young.
The technique for graceful aging is to find the pathway to the Fountain of Youth by following a certain habit formula.
F-ind joy everyday,anywhere. If you are resourceful enough there are so
many sources of joy available all around you wherever you are.
O-bserve things around you and be curious about them. There are a lot of
interesting things happening that you fail to notice everyday.
U-nite with lively people. If you only meet "your kind", you will only end up
comparing notes about your problems, disappointments and ailments.
N-urture your health by eating the right food, doing the right exercise and
maintaining a good mental attitude in life.
T-hink positive. No matter how unfortunate you think you are, there are
others more unfortunate than you. Always look at the better side of
anything.
A-lways look forward and upward. The past is gone and must be buried
with the past. Don't be a slave of your past misfortunes.
I-nsist on the true, the good and the beautiful. Your opinion and attitude
about anything help in seeing the reality about them.
N-ever think old. Age is only a quality of the mind. You are only as old as
you think. Age doesn't matter if matter doesn't age.
O-bey the Laws of Nature. Live in moderation.
F-ind something different to do every now and then. Don't live in boredom.
Y-earn to learn again. There are always new things to know. Look for
them.
O-pen your mind always. A closed mind is a dead mind.
U-se your common sense which unfortunately is now very uncommon.
T-ry your sense of play. There are always interesting games for you.
H-ave a good sense of humor. Laugh at yourself and make other's laugh
with you.
Friday, July 16, 2010
SILENT AS A GRAVE (7/14/10)
SILENT AS A GRAVE(7/14/10)
Typhoon ‘Basyang’ passed-by so quickly as when she came doing damages to several regions including the National Capital Region. Now there was a long period of calm, not the calm that goes with the typhoon. This was the calm resulting from the damages.
Power was cut off so no T.V., no radio, no internet and yes, no cell phone signal. As if to join the great calm, the dogs stopped barking, the roosters stopped crowing and the tricycle motors seemed to cooperate.
I was wondering… was this nature’s way of showing that the prohibition of “wang-wang” was indeed very effective to completely suppress all sources of noise? Or was my inherited deafness getting too serious so suddenly? This was the kind of silence I experienced only in a truly effectively managed library. The kind of silence one felt inside the adoration chapel.
This must be what they mean when they say ‘silent as a grave’. But as I pondered more deeply on the peaceful calm that engulfed me, I started to hear in my mind the sounds of raindrops, of thunder and of the wind last night that prodded me to sleep deeper and dream dreams of by-gone days.
I heard the sounds of my children playing at the backyard. I heard their shouts at each other while quarreling about simple things. I heard their happy songs. I said I must be nearing my grave that I was hearing its ‘eerie silence’.
But no, I have not yet heard the complete sounds of all my children. Many of them were far away making their noises in other countries. I may never have the luxury of the chance to hear them all… but I always pray that they will always be safe, peaceful and happy where they were.
I knew I have traveled a long way. As I heard the sounds of the ‘Jejemon’ I was reminded of the noises made by the ‘Jologs’, who learned their crafts possibly from the ‘Jefroks’, who in turn were taught their lessons by the many ‘gangs’ and ‘barkadas’ ahead of them.
But only those like me who started early must still recall the young ‘Borokintos’ of olden times. They were the noise-makers of their days. Young boys and a few girls who gathered during moonlit nights not for a session with grass or a taste of uppers and downers as they could get euphoric with only boiled bananas or ‘bualaw’ and coffee. Many times the boys went on serenading the pretty girls in the community.
After the ‘Jejemon’, a new generation of noise-makers shall evolve. I still hope to experience how I would feel or behave with my grandchildren joining the latest technical ‘Borokintos’. When that time comes I shall be totally happy, completely at peace with myself and finally ready to embrace the eternal silence of the grave.
Typhoon ‘Basyang’ passed-by so quickly as when she came doing damages to several regions including the National Capital Region. Now there was a long period of calm, not the calm that goes with the typhoon. This was the calm resulting from the damages.
Power was cut off so no T.V., no radio, no internet and yes, no cell phone signal. As if to join the great calm, the dogs stopped barking, the roosters stopped crowing and the tricycle motors seemed to cooperate.
I was wondering… was this nature’s way of showing that the prohibition of “wang-wang” was indeed very effective to completely suppress all sources of noise? Or was my inherited deafness getting too serious so suddenly? This was the kind of silence I experienced only in a truly effectively managed library. The kind of silence one felt inside the adoration chapel.
This must be what they mean when they say ‘silent as a grave’. But as I pondered more deeply on the peaceful calm that engulfed me, I started to hear in my mind the sounds of raindrops, of thunder and of the wind last night that prodded me to sleep deeper and dream dreams of by-gone days.
I heard the sounds of my children playing at the backyard. I heard their shouts at each other while quarreling about simple things. I heard their happy songs. I said I must be nearing my grave that I was hearing its ‘eerie silence’.
But no, I have not yet heard the complete sounds of all my children. Many of them were far away making their noises in other countries. I may never have the luxury of the chance to hear them all… but I always pray that they will always be safe, peaceful and happy where they were.
I knew I have traveled a long way. As I heard the sounds of the ‘Jejemon’ I was reminded of the noises made by the ‘Jologs’, who learned their crafts possibly from the ‘Jefroks’, who in turn were taught their lessons by the many ‘gangs’ and ‘barkadas’ ahead of them.
But only those like me who started early must still recall the young ‘Borokintos’ of olden times. They were the noise-makers of their days. Young boys and a few girls who gathered during moonlit nights not for a session with grass or a taste of uppers and downers as they could get euphoric with only boiled bananas or ‘bualaw’ and coffee. Many times the boys went on serenading the pretty girls in the community.
After the ‘Jejemon’, a new generation of noise-makers shall evolve. I still hope to experience how I would feel or behave with my grandchildren joining the latest technical ‘Borokintos’. When that time comes I shall be totally happy, completely at peace with myself and finally ready to embrace the eternal silence of the grave.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
":WANG-WANG", ANYONE?
“WANG-WANG”, ANYONE?
“Wang-wang” is the common street term for siren’s sounds in the traffic. It means many things to many people as it also signifies power, strength, great influence and many more.
Since President P-Noy prohibits its use it becomes a topic of much discussion ranging from the funny to the sublime. A popular priest considered it synonymous to importance since people using it feels that way… that they are important and everybody else should give way.
People with “wang-wang” personality are difficult to deal with. They have delusion of grandeur who are willing to kill anybody that cross their way. So also are the counter-flowing thinkers. They will insists on what they believe is right and never mind what happened to everybody else.
Many go against the current even if by doing so they are sometimes delayed even further. Their idea is not really to go ahead but to go against. There is a challenge in going against because by that, one can show his superiority and messianic complex.
“Wang-wang” taught us many lessons not only for ourselves but for our continuous existence in this world we called a valley of tears. We must learn to give way, to be patient, to be cooperative and to unite with others if we dream of a better life.
We must thank President P-Noy for controlling the “wang –wang” community of Filipinos. We feel assured that he is leading us to the straight path that he promised.
“Wang-wang” is the common street term for siren’s sounds in the traffic. It means many things to many people as it also signifies power, strength, great influence and many more.
Since President P-Noy prohibits its use it becomes a topic of much discussion ranging from the funny to the sublime. A popular priest considered it synonymous to importance since people using it feels that way… that they are important and everybody else should give way.
People with “wang-wang” personality are difficult to deal with. They have delusion of grandeur who are willing to kill anybody that cross their way. So also are the counter-flowing thinkers. They will insists on what they believe is right and never mind what happened to everybody else.
Many go against the current even if by doing so they are sometimes delayed even further. Their idea is not really to go ahead but to go against. There is a challenge in going against because by that, one can show his superiority and messianic complex.
“Wang-wang” taught us many lessons not only for ourselves but for our continuous existence in this world we called a valley of tears. We must learn to give way, to be patient, to be cooperative and to unite with others if we dream of a better life.
We must thank President P-Noy for controlling the “wang –wang” community of Filipinos. We feel assured that he is leading us to the straight path that he promised.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
ALONE ON FATHER'S DAY
ALONE ON FATHER’S DAY
With five healthy children, four equally healthy children-in-law and nine grandchildren, all very healthy too plus an even healthier wife it was quite unusual for a father to be alone on this special day. Except for the still unmarried youngest son who must be very busy with his sports activities, most of them have sent their greetings either through the cell phone or the internet. Also everyone who was anyone at my ‘facebook’ and other accounts has made themselves felt, mostly through generalized greetings to all fathers.
I was not complaining of course, in fact, being the romantic and sentimental me I was dressed for the occasion with shinny, booty pair of shoes, brown pants and maroon-striped polo shirt with matching brown cap too.
I didn’t expect my wife to invite me to have lunch somewhere for actually after attending the Holy Mass she proceeded to attend to her projects at the farm with the helpers.
My youngest daughter texted me to explain that her family planned to invite me and my wife to have lunch at Tuscany, a Mediterranean restaurant in the vicinity of Tagaytay but their car conked and they had to cancel the trip.
After attending to my internet connections I went home, ate my lunch alone and accepted gracefully the reality that “My Father’s Days” are totally gone. My family has grown so well that everybody is everywhere except at home even during holidays. I accept with an open mind the fact that as my days pass-by I shall be more and more isolated from my family as I come nearer to my eternal home.
I learned later that my youngest son texted his greetings to my old number. He greeted me on time after all. The whole experience made my day.
With five healthy children, four equally healthy children-in-law and nine grandchildren, all very healthy too plus an even healthier wife it was quite unusual for a father to be alone on this special day. Except for the still unmarried youngest son who must be very busy with his sports activities, most of them have sent their greetings either through the cell phone or the internet. Also everyone who was anyone at my ‘facebook’ and other accounts has made themselves felt, mostly through generalized greetings to all fathers.
I was not complaining of course, in fact, being the romantic and sentimental me I was dressed for the occasion with shinny, booty pair of shoes, brown pants and maroon-striped polo shirt with matching brown cap too.
I didn’t expect my wife to invite me to have lunch somewhere for actually after attending the Holy Mass she proceeded to attend to her projects at the farm with the helpers.
My youngest daughter texted me to explain that her family planned to invite me and my wife to have lunch at Tuscany, a Mediterranean restaurant in the vicinity of Tagaytay but their car conked and they had to cancel the trip.
After attending to my internet connections I went home, ate my lunch alone and accepted gracefully the reality that “My Father’s Days” are totally gone. My family has grown so well that everybody is everywhere except at home even during holidays. I accept with an open mind the fact that as my days pass-by I shall be more and more isolated from my family as I come nearer to my eternal home.
I learned later that my youngest son texted his greetings to my old number. He greeted me on time after all. The whole experience made my day.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
QUITTING CIGARETTE
QUITTING CIGARETTES
Cigarette smoking has become a presidential topic lately because Benigno (Noynoy) Aquino III, the president elect is a chain smoker. Many are nagging him to quit the habit and there are as many suggestions as there are letters in the alphabet.
I myself have tried about a dozen of those suggestions and have also failed a dozen times. Every time I tried I failed and ended up smoking more sticks until I became monstrously addicted to it that for about twenty years I was smoking four packs a day.
I was already expelling out rusty phlegm every morning and I knew the bad effects and all the detrimental complications of the habit but still I continued smoking because I simply couldn’t quit. Besides my bed was a huge clay pot (palayok) serving as my ash tray. When I run out of cigarette I pick again the already crushed butt and light anew.
I used to smoke three sticks before going out of bed on waking up in the morning. One uneventful day when I was about to light my first stick, I unceremoniously told myself: “What if I smoke after my bath?” and so it happened that after taking a quick shower my urge to smoke was even stronger and so again as if playing with myself I said “What if I smoke after breakfast?” It was my second victory that morning and I felt simply heroic having successfully conquered myself.
After breakfast the urge to puff cigarette was triple stronger but again I told myself “I will smoke after evacuating my vowels”. This time I felt truly triumphant so I bravely promised myself: “I will not smoke today!”. I was overwhelmingly successful. In the afternoon I was feeling uneasy as a result of withdrawal possibly. I didn’t take up any substitute like gums and candies. I just drank half glass of water whenever I have the urge. The next morning I again teasingly told myself: “I will not smoke today” I didn’t promise to quit smoking. I just challenge myself on waking up in the morning.
On the third day the withdrawal syndrome was already actively felt. I was afraid of something I couldn’t explain. The eerie kind of fear was felt the whole day so I just continued with my half glass of water therapy that on the fourth day I was totally disoriented but at the same time I felt stronger to fight all the discomforts brought by withdrawal.
On the second week I knew I have already conquered the habit. To continue overcoming the challenge I regularly put my favorite pack on my vest pocket and a working lighter on my pants pocket. Whenever I have the urge to smoke I take out the pack from my pocket and whispered to it: “You are only a pack of cigarette but I am a human being. You cannot be stronger than me” then I returned the pack to my pocket.
At the end of the second week I bought a whole cartoon of my favorite unfiltered brand, crushed all the sticks in my huge clay pot ash tray and burned them. While burning I cursed it as I would curse a criminal with instructions never to bother me anymore.
That was in 1978 or 32 years ago. Since then my appetite was improved and although I grew a little bigger I became healthier and happier if not handsomer.
Psychologists said that cigarette was the extension of our mother’s nipple. When we were babies we seek and connect to our mother’s nipple when we were hungry, afraid, in pain, or whatever negative emotion we were experiencing at the moment. The nipple was our security and now that we were weaned from the nipple we look for a substitute whenever we felt insecure. The substitute could be thumb sucking, smoking or other more abnormal and more disgusting mouth activities.
For whatever reason, smoking habit could willfully be controlled without any untoward side effects except for the withdrawal syndrome. Since the habit could be a sub-conscious need for security, hypnotic sessions could be very, very helpful.
Cigarette smoking has become a presidential topic lately because Benigno (Noynoy) Aquino III, the president elect is a chain smoker. Many are nagging him to quit the habit and there are as many suggestions as there are letters in the alphabet.
I myself have tried about a dozen of those suggestions and have also failed a dozen times. Every time I tried I failed and ended up smoking more sticks until I became monstrously addicted to it that for about twenty years I was smoking four packs a day.
I was already expelling out rusty phlegm every morning and I knew the bad effects and all the detrimental complications of the habit but still I continued smoking because I simply couldn’t quit. Besides my bed was a huge clay pot (palayok) serving as my ash tray. When I run out of cigarette I pick again the already crushed butt and light anew.
I used to smoke three sticks before going out of bed on waking up in the morning. One uneventful day when I was about to light my first stick, I unceremoniously told myself: “What if I smoke after my bath?” and so it happened that after taking a quick shower my urge to smoke was even stronger and so again as if playing with myself I said “What if I smoke after breakfast?” It was my second victory that morning and I felt simply heroic having successfully conquered myself.
After breakfast the urge to puff cigarette was triple stronger but again I told myself “I will smoke after evacuating my vowels”. This time I felt truly triumphant so I bravely promised myself: “I will not smoke today!”. I was overwhelmingly successful. In the afternoon I was feeling uneasy as a result of withdrawal possibly. I didn’t take up any substitute like gums and candies. I just drank half glass of water whenever I have the urge. The next morning I again teasingly told myself: “I will not smoke today” I didn’t promise to quit smoking. I just challenge myself on waking up in the morning.
On the third day the withdrawal syndrome was already actively felt. I was afraid of something I couldn’t explain. The eerie kind of fear was felt the whole day so I just continued with my half glass of water therapy that on the fourth day I was totally disoriented but at the same time I felt stronger to fight all the discomforts brought by withdrawal.
On the second week I knew I have already conquered the habit. To continue overcoming the challenge I regularly put my favorite pack on my vest pocket and a working lighter on my pants pocket. Whenever I have the urge to smoke I take out the pack from my pocket and whispered to it: “You are only a pack of cigarette but I am a human being. You cannot be stronger than me” then I returned the pack to my pocket.
At the end of the second week I bought a whole cartoon of my favorite unfiltered brand, crushed all the sticks in my huge clay pot ash tray and burned them. While burning I cursed it as I would curse a criminal with instructions never to bother me anymore.
That was in 1978 or 32 years ago. Since then my appetite was improved and although I grew a little bigger I became healthier and happier if not handsomer.
Psychologists said that cigarette was the extension of our mother’s nipple. When we were babies we seek and connect to our mother’s nipple when we were hungry, afraid, in pain, or whatever negative emotion we were experiencing at the moment. The nipple was our security and now that we were weaned from the nipple we look for a substitute whenever we felt insecure. The substitute could be thumb sucking, smoking or other more abnormal and more disgusting mouth activities.
For whatever reason, smoking habit could willfully be controlled without any untoward side effects except for the withdrawal syndrome. Since the habit could be a sub-conscious need for security, hypnotic sessions could be very, very helpful.
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