Warm again

Yesterday I asked myself if I will ever be warm again. I began to feel cold as soon as I got our relative's call telling me that our mother was in the ICU and was in critical condition. The cold settled in and never left until a while ago. The hardest thing for us to deal with was the feeling of helplessness because of the distance.

It was the most somber birthday for my youngest sister. She is the closest to our mom so I could just imagine all the mixed emotions she had. I could not even begin to tell them everything I was told. I could not even process them. It was much easier for me to omit some of the details. I somehow doubt I would be able to convey everything I heard when my mind could not even accept what I heard.

Prayers helped us got by. The support and prayers of friends added to the conviction that all will be well.

Earlier I got word from my mom that her respirator and other life support gadgets have been removed. She will be transferred from the ICU and will stay in the hospital until she recovers. Only after I heard that news that I began to feel warm again.

Lovely

Two guys, a piano and a cello make beautiful music together. Now I suddenly want to learn how to play the cello.

Happy 20th CRC!!!

In 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) became the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children. As a binding treaty of international law, it codifies principles that Member States of the United Nations agreed to be universal – for all children, in all countries and cultures, at all times and without exception, simply through the fact of their being born into the human family.

(Text and image from here.)

My one vote

I intend to make full use of my one vote. I did not vote in the past two elections. It was only recently that I rediscovered the motivation to exercise that right. I even braved the serpentine lines and tiresome wait at a Comelec satellite office just so I can register again.

As the election fever begins to rage, I am beginning to see more of the usual campaigns. Some ring of empty promises that seem to get hollower as years go by. There are always familiar faces, tired lines, and scarce concrete action to match grand promises made. A part of me doubts that politics and governance will change after new and re-elected leaders take the helm in the contested positions. But, despite my misgivings, I still intend to put much thought and effort to that one vote I have.

If I were to shortlist candidates to give my vote to, I will go for those who exude integrity and have firm stance on the following:

1. Education ~ ensuring that more children get access to free education; that more children will have the opportunity to study beyond elementary school; that literacy rate in the Philippines improve especially in the poorest towns and municipalities.

2. Environment ~ because regardless of which side we stand on the climate change debate, I believe that everyone deserves a future where there is environment sustainability. In the interconnectedness of things, ignoring the potential impacts of neglect is a risk that we cannot afford to make.

3. Sports ~ because apart from promoting a healthy lifestyle, it teaches ideals and values that strengthen character and integrity. The current state of sports in the country desperately needs to be addressed.

Like most of what ails the nation, money (misuse, corruption, etc.) is not the only issue that needs to be addressed. Prudent use of funds, a clear vision, and the courage to catalyze changes define great leaders.

I do not think much will change after the 2010 elections. But even so, I believe that there will be a few who will create small ripples of change that will resonate in the coming years. That thought alone is enough to make me anticipate in casting my one vote. One vote that I will use wisely.

Pinay long jumper wins gold

A former roommate in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex South Tower wins the Gold in long jump in the Asian Track and Field Championships held at the Guangdong Olympic Center in Guangzhou, China. Maris' commitment to training paid off.

It is such a source of pride and inspiration to see athletes struggle and emerge victorious through talent, hard work and dedication. Go Pinoy athletes!

Full story:
Torres ends Asian Track & Field Gold drought
From Good News Pilipinas

Natural state of things

Two things came to mind when I read about the rot-proof apple that stays fresh for 4 months:

1. The apple tree mentioned in James Rollins' book The Doomsday Key
2. My aunt's tale about a new variant of rice that her friends are recommending to her. The said rice purportedly doesn't spoil for four days when cooked

Although I admire the complexity and genius in developing such produce, I still prefer the natural state of things. Let food rot in their own good time.

go the distance

"People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference." ~ Luciano Pavarotti

Image from things we forget

Philippine Rowing Team quad in Asian Champs Finals A

The Philippine Rowing Team's quad reached Finals A finished 6th in the 13th Asian Rowing Championships held in Yilan, Chinese Taipei. Congratulations and kudos for your best effort and for giving your all in the intense races with Asian powerhouse teams!

Read more about the recently concluded 13th Asian Rowing Championships in Chris Perry's (FISA Development Consultant, Asia) China stands out at Asian Champs.

I want to be six again

I saw this on Facebook. It was posted by Paolo Jamoralin then shared by my friend Majella Jamoralin.

---

I want to be six again

I want to go to McDonald's and think
it's the best place in the world to eat.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle
and make waves with rocks.
I want to think M&Ms are better than money
because you can eat them.
I want to play kickball during recess
and stay up on Christmas Eve
waiting to hear Santa and Rudolph on the roof.
I long for the days when life was simple.
When all you knew were your colors,
the addition tables, and simple nursery rhymes,
but it didn't bother you because
you didn't know what you didn't know,
and you didn't care.
I want to go to school and have snack time,
recess, gym, and field trips.
I want to be happy
because I don't know what should make me upset.
I want to think the world is fair,
and everyone in it is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible.
Sometime, while I was maturing,
I learned too much.
I learned of nuclear weapons,
starving and abused kids, and unhappy marriages.

I want to be six again.

I want to think that everyone, including myself,
will live forever because
I don't know the concept of death.
I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life,
and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want television to be something I watch for fun,
not something I use for escape from the things I should be doing.
I want to live knowing
the little things I find exciting,
will always make me as happy as when I first learned them.

I want to be six again.

I remember not seeing the world as a whole,
but rather being aware of only
the things that directly concerned me.
I want to be naive enough to think that if
I'm happy, so is everyone else.
I want to walk down the beach and think
only of the sand beneath my feet,
and the possibility of finding
that blue piece of sea glass I'm looking for.
I want to spend my afternoons
climbing trees and riding my bike,
letting the grownups worry about time,
the dentist, and how to find the money to fix the car.
I want to wonder what I'll do when I grow up,
not worry what I'll do if this doesn't work out.
I want that time back.
I want to use it now as an escape,
so that when my computer crashes,
or I have a mountain of paperwork,
or two depressed friends,
or second thoughts about so many things,
I can travel back and build snowmen
without thinking about anything
except whether the snow sticks together
and what I can possibly use for the snowman's mouth.

I want to be six again.

-anonymous-

45 days to go... :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

How to get an NBI clearance (for the nth time)

This morning I got my NBI clearance in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Not bad, especially with the crowd I saw when I arrived. Lesson learned: Do not leave old NBI clearance behind with other stuff for storage. Renewal takes less time.

I decided to post a few tips below hoping that first time NBI clearance applicants stumble upon it. Some of it might actually be helpful:
~ NBI satellite office located in front of Victoria Mall, Bajada, Davao City allots a certain number of forms for both AM and PM transactions

~ If you wish to finish before lunch time, be at the NBI office on or before 9:00am. I got there at 9:20am and a few minutes after, they announced that they ran out of forms already. Those who were not able to get forms were advised to come back at 1:00pm.

~ Listen carefully to instructions and hone your observation skills. One thing I distinctly noted earlier was the NBI staff I saw were all in plain clothes. Maybe it was laundry day or maybe it was just standard operating procedure for them not to be in uniform but that certainly made it harder to pinpoint people I can approach to ask questions.

Good thing there were volunteers/OJTs (I assumed) who look like students of a law enforcement or maritime school. They at least were easily identifiable in their respective stations. Other than these volunteers/OJTs (again, I'm just assuming), finding someone to provide information was a bit of a pain. It did not help that the tarpaulin listing the steps was posted within what served as waiting area for those whose numbers were already called.

Advice to NBI office mentioned: please put the information near the gate where everyone can easily see it.

I also took some notes from the info tarpaulin detailing the 8 steps in getting an NBI clearance (for first time applicants):
Step 1. Verification of true identification of applicant (required: valid ID with picture or Community Tax Certificate)
Step 2. Filling up in bold letters and checking of NBI clearance card details
Step 3. Fingerprinting by the fingerprint personnel
Step 4. Paying of correct fees at the cashier's office

Local Employment - Php115.00
Travel Abroad - Php115.00
Licenses - Php165.00
Business - Php165.00
BI Requirements - Php415.00

Step 5. Image Capture Processing
Step 6. Data Encoding (to verify whether applicant has no records in file or has no namesake)
Step 7. Releasing in same day for "No" records/"No Hit Applicants"
Step 8. For "Hit applicants" - advice to return in ten (10) working days period

And as end note, keep your NBI clearance where you can easily access or find it come renewal time. Believe me, renewal is much much easier. I should know, I have done it back when I had the foresight to keep my old clearance.

If - read by Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal

This started my day right.

Sport for All

Sport: a human right for all individuals

Sport for All is a movement promoting the Olympic ideal that sport is a human right for all individuals regardless of race, social class and sex. The movement encourages sports activities that can be exercised by people of all ages, both sexes and different social and economic conditions.

Just recently, I mentioned Olympism in an email thread with dragon boat friends. The thread was about some umpiring, rowing and dragon boat updates. I said that whatever our role requires us to do in our respective sports we should not forget to promote the spirit of Olympism, always.

Modern Olympism, as defined here, celebrates the ideals which remain at the heart of Olympism. By blending sport with culture and education, Olympism promotes a way of life based on:

* The balanced development of the body, will and mind
* The joy found in effort
* The educational value of being a good role model
* Respect for universal ethics including tolerance, generosity, unity, friendship, non-discrimination and respect for others.

I thought about all of these immediately after I heard about an unfortunate issue involving my dragon boat club team. Quite frankly, the story is not new to me. I heard variations of it already even before, seemingly harmless remarks from competitors. Those kinds of things happen a lot in sports. No big deal.

This latest incident happened during the November 8th race at Manila Bay. A teammate told me that a paddler from another team called one of the Manila Dragon women's team members "gurang" (oldie) inside a CR. My friend told me that another teammate took exception and respectfully called the lady paddler on it. The said teammate explained quiety that most of the women that she was disrespecting were breast cancer survivors. The girl who made the comment apologized. However, as soon as the teammate who called her on it left, the girl shouted "Wala akong pakialam!" (I don't care!). Unfortunately, my friend said another teammate was still in one of the bathroom stalls and heard her - and triggered another exchange.

In another incident, a different team's member commented "Ay matrona!" while Manila Dragons were unloading.

A few thoughts came to mind after I heard the story:
1. Everyone is entitled to her/his own opinion. Ang pikon talo.
2. Sporting events are often rife with intrigues. Competitiveness and team pride knows no bounds.
3. There is always an opportunity to understand the ideals of sports better. Learning and understanding is a start.

To the Manila Dragons breast cancer survivors, nasty and petty comments thrown at you will not diminish the strength of your spirits.

As for the labels, I personally wish to defy those labels as I intend to play until my old age. Sports for All means sports is for all. No one has the right to discourage healthy individuals from embracing a sporting life.

A series of unfortunate events

I first heard of the story from my tita who is staying over after a hospital procedure. She said the road accident happened sometime last week. A bus headed to Tibal-og, Davao del Norte was following a tractor with a cargo of water. It then tried to overtake the tractor and almost collided head-on with an oncoming truck. The bus tried to avoid the truck and swerved to its right. Unfortunately, it hit the tractor and killed its driver. A bus passenger also died and the conductor lost a leg.

A while ago, my uncle arrived and said another tragedy struck the tractor driver's family. The funeral car carrying the remains was hit by a truck near the scene of the first accident. Perhaps what's most tragic about this was the car's driver, the dead man's mother and a child relative died. The dead man's body was not spared as the coffin flew off the car because of the impact.

The bus driver had the presence of mind to flee the scene. If he did not, there was a chance his life will not be spared by the wrath of grieving relatives and friends who were following the funeral car to bury their dead.

It is hard to feel sorry for a man who, by accident, killed people. Especially when he is found to be carrying shabu in his wallet.

Lucky

~ A fall to remember
~ Memories of The Hague
~ Maybe because it's November

LSS: Lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again

How Much Water is in Your Latte?

For coffee lovers like me out there, don't worry. This video says it's not about taking away our morning java fix :) | from: The Top 9 Green Viral Videos (via TreeHugger)

It is personal

"Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean." ~ Ryunosuke Satoro

Last Wednesday, the news about the dead "butanding" (whale shark) that turned up dead on Manila Bay got my attention. Never in my years of training on the waters of Manila Bay have I seen whales, dead or alive, anywhere near our boats. However, I did witness several instances of dead fishes floating, human wastes of the most unsavory kind, a sea of water lilies, and tons of garbage that made training even more difficult than they usually were. What we did was just to row anyway and try not to think about the sorry state of the bay.

The dead "butanding" made me curious about our new breed of rowers. What is it that they see now when they are out there training? Do they see less of the problems we saw before or is it worse now?

I keep thinking that regardless of where we choose to stand in the issue of climate change, we have to admit that something is terribly wrong if sea creatures keep turning up dead on our shores. Garbage do not belong in what should be pristine waters. They should not endanger the survival of creatures that cannot even speak to beg for our help.

Looking at the big picture can sometimes be daunting, especially if we do not fully understand the root and extent of the problems. But perhaps taking that small step individually is a beginning of the big solution we hope to see. And maybe, if we follow others' lead and personalize the problem we can find the inspiration to make the change we feel are necessary.

Sports is where I found that inspiration. I spent hours every day for years rowing in places where training and competition brought me. I ran in city and country roads where I felt like I was drawing energy from around me. It was only after constantly seeing the beauty that I learned to notice small things that I would have otherwise missed.

Whatever form the problems choose to manifest, they will not go away by themselves. Perhaps what is more important is how we choose to take the next steps to mitigate them. The possibilities are endless and the following are just a few of the many things we can individually and collectively do:

1. Develop the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping. This helps minimize the use of plastic bags. Just imagine how much we can contribute in minimizing the garbage we have. In those times my paddle caught plastic bags there were moments I wondered if some of them were mine.

Note: 450 Estimated time, in years, for a plastic bottle to degrade completely in a marine environment. (Read more)

2. Use events as an opportunity to set an example. Sporting events often generate a lot of trash. I remember several instances when we organized competitions and had to spend hours cleaning after all sorts of trash left by participants and spectators. It would help if event organizers begin to integrate the values of sport and the environment in each activity. Athletes can be the champions by setting an example. Volunteers can help with encouraging participants and spectators in segregating trash.

3. Instill the values of sport and environment to athletes, coaches, officials, and support staff. Encourage them to share how important is a sustainable environment to the future of their respective sports. They can put a face to another facet of a campaign that ultimately makes winners in all of us.

Over the years, I have seen how the above examples worked. I met people who showed me that all these are possible. This is why I believe it is not too late to "give this planet a sporting chance".

-------
Resources:
Numbers: Plastics, From Manufacturing to Recycling to Long Death in a Landfill
United Nations Environment Programme
The International Olympic Committee Sport and Environment Commission
Japan Olympic Committee Sport and Environment Commission