Tie A Yellow Ribbon

Image from Google

Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree

I’m comin’ home, I’ve done my time
Now I’ve got to know what is and isn’t mine
If you received my letter telling you I’d soon be free
Then you’ll know just what to do
If you still want me, if you still want me

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree
It’s been three long years, do you still want me?
If I don’t see a ribbon round the ole oak tree
I’ll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me
If I don’t see a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree

Bus driver, please look for me
‘Cause I couldn’t bear to see what I might see
I’m really still in prison and my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon’s what I need to set me free
And I wrote and told her please

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree
It’s been…

Tomorrow,  is Ninoy Aquino Day. Ninoy Aquino Day is a national non-working holiday in the Philippines observed annually on August 21, commemorating the assassination of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. 

For so many times since I started blogging and every time this holiday is held I blog  about it. I remember the day Ninoy died at the airport tarmac  when he alighted from the plane going home to the Philippines, the Philippine president that never was.  I  am sure tomorrow there would be more tribute to Ninoy. I couldn’t remember now why the yellow ribbon was chosen to remember Ninoy. Back in those days, we rejoiced seeing people in a sea of yellow.

Every time I hear this particular song, I remember my Mom singing and dancing while swaying either Nissa or my nephew Anthony.  Back in those days, they were just toddlers. I smile at the thought of remembrance. Mom at her age now, no longer remembers probably  but I still do.

Tomorrow is another celebration of a yellow day. 

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Missing You Lots

I haven’t seen Nate for almost two months now since he has Saturday classes to make up  for those days that classes were suspended. Yesterday though, his class had a field demo in Physical Education and Nissa took a video and some photos of the kids.

These photos were taken yesterday in school. Nissa said he gained weight the past month. I said, “bagay”.

Mother and daughter team….haha! Nissa has lots of photos of Nate and the two of them together usually inside  the car but this was taken in front of her in-laws house.

Hope to see you this coming Saturday Nate. Nonna misses you.

 

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Three Days After

Ah finally, internet connection is back.

After several follow ups and repetitive requests to have it back, Globe reconnected our internet access. They said they did maintenance the past three days. Another said, their tower in our area has gone kaput on us. Which is which? At least they were polite enough to say power will be back in three days and that is at around 10 am today. I went online at 9:30 am and the internet  is back. Hallelujah 🙂

When you are used to having internet connection at all hours of the day, it seems so hard without it.  The world gets smaller because you are not even updated with the weather reports online.  Good thing, there are no  low pressure area seen although a typhoon named Soulik (international name) is about 1,890 kms. east-northeast of Luzon but the weather bureau said it won’t enter the Philippine area of responsibility.  At the moment, we are having drizzles  and thunderstorms would most likely occur again late this afternoon. Hopefully, it won’t bring too much rain.

Would you believe I finished three books in three days that we didn’t have internet connection? Yes, one book a day…haha! I discovered another author.

I thought it was another book by Lincoln Child minus his partner Douglas Preston but Lee Child is a brother of Lincoln Child.  His real name is James Grant, a British author  who writes thriller novels, and is best known for his Jack Reacher novel series.

The Visitor is one such book, fast-paced, deeply satisfying and really hard to put down. I like it better than some of the books I read before by Preston and Child.

It was followed by a feel good romance book. Yes, you read it right, I read romance books too once in  a while and this one is pretty good. Another first from the author T.K. Leigh. I am sure this won’t be the first time I will read a book of hers.

“The Other Side Of Someday is a fun, sexy story of looking for Mr. Right in a world full of Mr. Wrongs, when Mr. Right could be just next door”. 

As usual I jotted down some quotes from the book:

“May you find beauty in the world that surrounds you, even when things aren’t going your way. May you have a sense of adventure, whether it be dancing in the rain or bungee jumping.

Experience everything the world has to offer. May you find something you love doing and be able to make a life out of that passion because life without passion isn’t a life worth living. May you confront your fears head-on and not cower in the face of adversity. Most importantly, may you love. Love hard and without abandon. Love with no regrets. Love like there’s no tomorrow. For so many people, there isn’t a tomorrow. Don’t take it for granted.” 

I’d like to say, having no internet was a bit of a blessing to be able to read these wonderful stories.

 

 

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Blogging Update

Just wondering why my old posts are being resurrected by new bloggers, some  have just started blogging.

This is it, pancit. I just reached a total of 540,058 views at the moment. I know some bloggers don’t really mind the numbers but I do. It just means some people still find my blog worth-reading about. Though I have almost reached 3,400 followers  (about a hundred  via e-mails and Twitter), only a very few  probably read what I post.

I love reading your comments and I make it a point to answer them all whenever possible. I love exchanging ideas with friends from  far away places and knowing how they live.  Having you all around makes blogging a joy to do. This is my 2,342nd post for this particular blog.  I wonder how much longer it would take me to reach 3,072 MB space allowed,  there is still a total of 27%  free space.  It is hard to maintain a total of five blogs and this is the only one I regularly update. I haven’t bought a camera yet so my photos at COLORS  are not updated. I rely on my  camera phone and my tab plus other photos regularly sent by Nissa.

BY the way, I love to share these with you. They’re lovely quotes from one of my favorite authors  Kristin Hannah from a book called Angel Falls.

The measure of a man comes down to moments, spread out like dots of paint on the canvas of life. Everything you were, everything you’ll someday be, resides in the small, seemingly ordinary choices of everyday life. it starts early, this random processions of decisions.

Each decision seems as insignificant as a left turn on an unfamiliar road when you have no destination in mind. But the decisions accumulate until you realize one day that they’ve made you the man that you are.

A blessed and happy Thursday to all.

 

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On Books And Sunrise

The sun showed its face for a while then the clouds obscured it. Will it be another rainy day? I really hope not. My plants need to breathe, see the sun too.

Just done with The Lost Sister by Tracy Buchanan. A different kind of story about a family separated by ideologies  but in the end love prevailed. Imagine yourself living in a cave at some point in your life and embracing something not normally accepted in society. Imagine yourself  looking for a long-lost sister that you didn’t know about in the first place until your mom told you in her dying  breath. Imagine growing up fed by lies and untruth. Such make the book a wonderful read.  If you love something a bit emotional showing some strength and weaknesses of the characters involved, this book is it. Since this is my first read of Tracy Buchanan, I don’t have any other of her books to compare it with.

I am presently reading The Simple Wild set in Alaska by K. A Tucker.  I’ve read a couple of books about Alaska before and I liked them both. I hope this one is good too.  It’s my second book of  K. A. Tucker. Seeing the five stars on Goodreads, I hope it will deliver.

 

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When Do You Say You’re Okay?

You are often asked time and again by friends, family members and sometimes acquaintances, “How are you”? I guess that is the standard greeting and the standard answer is, “I’m okay”.  Physically, we might look good  to other people but what if you answer, “I’m not good” or “I’m sick”.  What would you think would be the reaction of your  friend  when you say that? Some would just probably smile awkwardly and just go on  while others who have genuine concern for you will ask further what is wrong.

I am guilty of this, saying okay when I am not. You are afraid sometimes that other people would think ill of you if you share your woes to the world in general. Some would just shake their heads and allow you to rant.

Just received so many messages from friends and relatives on Facebook when I posted that flood waters reached our garage. So grateful for all the concerns and regards to us. Yes, of course you are happy when you are remembered this way.

A friend (a former boss actually) posted this response  on an opinion page at one of our national dailies which asked, “Is resilience bad for us as a nation”?

“Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. There is no doubt that resilience is a useful trait, especially in the face of traumatic events such as this flooding. But, if we don’t seek solutions to the problems and hold people accountable, then, what we are seeing is the dark side of resiliency”.

I agree. Filipinos are known for being resilient, we have that innate toughness  when we encounter difficulties. As long as we can endure a certain situation, we don’t complain. As they say in Tagalog, “inaapakan ka na, pinapabayaan mo lang”.  “Inaapakan ka na at binabastos ka na, naka ngiti ka pa rin”. 

A lot of people are asking on their wall, “Where is the president”? I  asked the same question yesterday and my friends responded enthusiastically.  I understand he was in Davao when the flood hit Metro Manila and nearby provinces (as of now, some are still under water).  Supposedly, he and his cohorts would do an aerial view of the damages but it was postponed.  He didn’t show his face and true to their FAKE advocacy, he sent his assistant and a look-alike (an impostor) if you please to visit the evacuation site in Marikina City. This is the only time I observed that the president is a “no-show” in such calamities. Before, the government is always at the scene when calamities strike us, helping, coordinating works for the welfare of the people.  Oh my gosh, they elected an impostor, he is just being true to himself.  He is against drugs right? But how come an almost P7 billion worth of Shabu entered the Philippines last week through customs and until now, they are silent as a mouse? No condemnation on what happened, no words that he will punish those responsible for the allowed shipment. An irate friend shouted out that maybe he is busy  distributing  that huge amount of drugs to help those affected by the flood.

Did I say the Philippines is okay? IT IS NOT.

 

 

 

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Saturday Night

Not really inclined to read nor blog but I have to do something before I go to sleep. So tired fixing things when we went back home this morning. We had to transfer the car to a higher place and elevate  those things that we feared would be caught by the flood.

I told you in my blog yesterday that I hate it when it rains non-stop. True enough, flood waters reached our garage. We  left the house at about 7 pm and spent the night with  our neighbors’ house together with Mom, Josef and Jovy and Oreo of course. Since typhoon Ondoy left  Metro Manila flooded for days back in 2009, I have become afraid of floods.  It used to be when this place was just rice field all around when we had the house built in 1995 but today, it is filled with buildings and houses some of which even have third floors.

Metro Manila and surrounding provinces got flooded again, some even reaching their rooftops.  Some families are still in evacuation centers especially Marikina residents which got the most flooded areas in the metropolis.

Saw this evacuation center in Marikina on Facebook. a wonderful change from the usual crowded places of basketball courts and classrooms  with not so much amenities for the evacuees.

I asked Josef not to report to work tomorrow if this rain continues which PAGASA says until  Tuesday.  It is really alarming when the rain comes. Report says that yesterday poured a half-month amount of rain in the metropolis.  So many  people were stranded. Some malls were open so the shoppers could use their parking spaces and the malls to pass the night.

That fearsome feeling,  watching the night while the flood subsides. I am grateful though that it did not enter our house.

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Remembering Those Years And Those Songs

Feasted my eyes and ears watching and listening in YouTube from various artists of old.  This was triggered by Pete’s post called Significant  Songs (197). I love the Doobie Brothers.  I remember the songs of my youth, those years when I was growing up in the province and  all we had was  the radio. Yes, back in the 60’s, we had no TV. It was only during the early years of the 70’s when my brother and I were already studying in Metro Manila that we had a black and white TV. Then came the color television and everything changed.

Back to the music.

I actually uploaded  many songs on my wall at Facebook like America’s Sister Golden Hair and Ventura Highway, Spandau Ballet’s True, Toto’s Africa, Take On Me by a-h-a, IZ’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Bee Gees’ Massachusetts. I laughed while watching Let’s Dance by Chris Montes.  So that was how they did it several decades ago, the dancing – the foot works and hand gestures.  It was really a happy tune.

Back in those years, I have memorized even the lyrics of the songs, danced to it and sang along.  Really YouTube is a rich source of all those songs of yesteryears.

 

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Rainy Saturday Musings

Yesterday, I was grateful about the drizzle but today I am not happy about the rains. Yes, it is raining again and it’s been raining since  early this morning when Josef and I left the house to do our twice a month marketing.

Then around 7:30 am, I went to The Medical City satellite clinic for my urinalysis and doctor  consultation. God is good. After a month of trying several medications based on my urine culture, the last one was effective.  It’s pretty back to normal. No red blood cells, no pus cells, protein and sugar are negative.  Worrying about one’s health disrupts normal living. I have to go back though after a month for regular check-up of my sugar and another urinalysis. I don’t mind the lab tests.  As long as they turn out normal, I am happy. My doctor said, “breathe easy now, you are well and good”. Thank God.

I can’t help but say a few words regarding our present political situation here. The present government is promoting federalism and two of our economic managers, the NEDA Director General Pernia and Finance Secretary Dominguez are against it but one Concom delegate, a priest at that ( I knew him when he was a Philosophy student in UST) suggested that they remove these two from office.

Got this meme from Sen. Kiko Pangilinan’s website.

These two are after the welfare of the Filipino people but those aligned with the president seems to think it would be best to approve federalism. Gosh, they are only after their own welfare. If no elections are held come 2019, what would happen to us?  They would scrap the election in favor of a new change on government. But those in the know say that the Philippines is not ready for a federal form  of government.

I was just wondering why when  those few honest government officials tell the truth, the present government make issues of their removal.  Is this where we are going?

The ship is sinking.

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Drizzle

The gentle patter of the rain,

Makes these plants alive.

They breathe

They smile

And seem to say,

“Welcome, you make us happy”.

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