tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30509553892500110392024-03-18T22:29:10.392-05:00sagada-igorot.comSagada, Philippines. The Igorot people.SaGaDa-iGoRoThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576580650240642927noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3050955389250011039.post-1012093164215976782011-09-10T02:16:00.000-05:002011-09-10T02:16:58.066-05:009/11 Email from an EyewitnessA friend and colleague migrated to the United States with her family on March of 2001. She was in New York on September 11, 2001 at our company's New York office during the terrorist attacks. The office had a view of the WTC towers. Here's her recollection of the events that day in an email she shared with our group of friends a few days after the terrorist attacks. <span id="fullpost"><br />
<br />
"Hi,<br />
<br />
Thank you for all your notes of concern and good wishes for my and my family's safety. I appreciate them all, especially as the situation here is growing more and more uncertain everyday with the Taliban and the US exchanging threats of war. I was half expecting something to actually happen last Tuesday, it being a week after. Without meaning to, I took exactly the same train I took last week, and was in my seat in the office at roughly the same time as last week. I couldn't help it, but I kept looking out of the window, over where the World Trade Center used to stand. This incident has really made a huge impact on my sense of security.<br />
<br />
It was eerie how, from talking with friends and colleagues here, many seemed to have had some sort of premonition of what was to unfold that day. In my case, I was thinking of bombs as I rode the elevator to my office at 8:15 that morning. I was thinking how easy it was to bring a bomb and detonate it in our building as the security is really lax. I was also thinking what<br />
it must be like if a bomb did go off - what mayhem would we experience. My sister, on the other hand, was feeling things have been unusually quiet these past months on the newsfront and wondered what big event would happen soon. Another friend was thinking about Iraq and how they might retaliate against the US given that the news that have been hugging the limelight at<br />
that time was that a US spy plane had apparently been shot down by Iraq.<br />
<br />
My day started our normal enough. I was plowing through my emails and reading through the headlines of the Philippine Star and the Inquirer when suddenly a colleague who sits nearby jumped up and announced that there was an explosion at the WTC. As his announcement was not loud enough nor did it sound panicky enough to me, I didn't even bother to react. I remember thinking it might have been just false alarm or maybe just a small accident.<br />
<br />
I couldn't remember how it actually happened that I looked out of the window, but I did and what I saw gave me the goose bumps. There was a huge hole on one of the WTC towers, and so much smoke was coming out of the building. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then someone said that a<br />
plane had apparently hit the WTC. I remember thinking, what a terrible accident - and to think it was a very clear day. I called my sister immediately - she was at home that time - and asked her to switch on the TV as there's been an explosion at the WTC. Then I went back to the window and just gaped at the billowing smoke coming out of the WTC tower, still trying to make sense of how an accident like that could have happened. And then someone said that it's a terrorist attack. I dismissed that comment maybe because I didn't want to believe it.<br />
<br />
As things started to settle down and I went back to my seat intending to work, I heard moans and groans from everyone in the office. I stood up and saw this huge ball of fire that seemed to come out of the second tower. I rushed to the window and just gaped, horrified at how a second accident like that could happen. Call me stupid but I was still not prepared to think it<br />
was a terrorist attack. Then someone started to narrate how he saw this plane go straight into the second tower with no hesitation. He noted how the plane was not even wobbling as if there was something wrong with it. That's when I accepted the fact that this was indeed a terrorist attack. <br />
<br />
I was on the phone with my sister every few minutes, checking in to let her know how I'm doing, at the same time trying to learn from her what is being reported in the news. It was from her that I learned a few minutes after that second plane rammed into #2 WTC that the pentagon has also been hit. Everyone else in the office was either talking on the phone with someone else or simply watching the WTC.<br />
<br />
And then, as things started settling down again, another horrified moan came from the people near the window watching the towers. When I turned to look, I saw #2 WTC was crumbling down. Some people had started to cry, I simply stared in shock as I kept on muttering to myself "Oh my God!". <br />
<br />
As the shock wore off a little, many of us wondered whether there was a bomb that exploded apart from the plane crash. We were too confident that the WTC could withstand such an impact. And as we were milling around discussing, #1 WTC exploded and crumbled too. I ran to the window saying<br />
"Oh my God!" out loud and trembling with fear. This time, I could not help the tears that came and I called my sister. Then I called the train service to check if there were still outbound trains to <go home>. I felt so trapped when they told me all train services out of Manhattan have been suspended.<br />
<br />
We couldn't do anything the rest of that morning except to watch the news - a manager here managed to get hold of a TV and installed it in his office. I would sit in my chair, call my sister, pace around, talk to my colleagues, watch the news. By lunch time, we decided to go to church and while walking on 5th avenue, you could see the white smoke covering the skyline of<br />
downtown Manhattan. When we got back from church, someone from the office said that they had opened up train service and I hurriedly went with someone in the office to the train station to see if we could catch a train to <go home>.<br />
<br />
The streets were packed with people walking, and the train station was so full of people and police. We managed to get on a train that was so full there were people standing in almost all free space inside. When the train finally crossed the stateline to Connecticut, I was a little bit relieved. It must have been the shock but my head was aching, and I could not sleep in<br />
the the train. Everyone in the train just looked so sad.<br />
<br />
... <br />
<br />
As a footnote, I felt the power of the internet that day. Only a few minutes after that first plane hit tower #1 and we were still unsure what exactly happened, ABC news already had a picture and a story on its Home page.<br />
<br />
And a final footnote, there was something the priest said in that mass I attended that fateful Tuesday that has stayed with me. He said there is no sadder person in this entire universe than God himself. He who made all things in His image must be weeping at seeing what we are doing to<br />
ourselves." </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0shtkRhtk9E" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Fm_OWQB8X-M" width="560"></iframe><br />
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
<b>Cultural Night – the TOMA Song</b><br />
<br />
The cultural night also featured a well thought of fashion show that displayed the evolution of Igorot tapestry which was very well received by the American audience. A re-enactment on how the Igorots first met with American missionaries was done through pantomime, and then came one of the more emotional moments I’ve experienced in the reunion – the singing of the <i>AY TET-EWA AY TOMA SA?</i> (Is that really a bedbug?). <br />
<br />
I believe I’ve sung this song once or twice a year during my elementary years. It’s a marvelously funny song about the bedbug (toma), and it entails having a leader sing a question, and the audience sing back a response. The first 2 lines goes like this: <span id = "fullpost"><br />
<br />
Leader: <i>Ay tet-ewa’y toma na?</i> (Is this really a bedbug?)<br />
Audience: <i>Tetewa ay toma sa. Dake-dake’y toma sa ya kadak-kelan ay toma.</i> (Yes, that’s really a bedbug. That’s a huge bedbug and it’s the biggest bedbug ever.)<br />
<br />
And it goes on with a series of about a dozen or so questions, and the answers sung to each question is attached to the answer of the earlier questions and so every answer sung by the audience will end with the declaration that yes, that’s really a huge bedbug and it’s the biggest one. EVER! It’s similar to the “12 days of Christmas” and that other English song that goes “There was a tree, the finest tree that you ever did see…”. To me, the TOMA song is way more special.<br />
<br />
To someone like me who is used to singing the song almost every year while growing up, it brought back warm feelings of early years in Sagada. I remember a particular December evening in the 1980s – most likely during the lantern parade, that a young guy and gal – in their first year in high school, dressed up in traditional Igorot attire, standing before the Sagada community gathered around the town’s basketball court, and leading the TOMA song with such fervor that I remember it so well after 20+ years. <br />
<br />
I learned during the conference that the song was written by Dr. Henry Scott, a teaching missionary himself, in the 1950s, and that it was meant to be a humorous adaptation of one of the more hated animals in nature. I’m thinking how it is a reflection of Sagada humor – blunt, frank, and embarrassingly funny sometimes. Somehow, I tried to have my sons enjoy the singing as much as I did to no avail. I guess it’s again a reminder that my Sagada upbringing is several planets apart from their Manila / Chicago-suburb experience. (Even my wife who grew up in neighboring Tadian doesn’t care that much about the TOMA song.)<br />
<br />
Igorot gong-playing and dancing followed after the TOMA song. Members of BIBBAK – Illinois, who performed at a Baguio high school reunion earlier in the evening, also performed a Benguet dance. Towards the end, the tables and chairs were pushed to the side, and the audience was invited to community dancing. Plenty of them obliged. The evening ended after the dancing, with farewells being exchanged since some of the attendees were catching flights or driving home early that Sunday morning. For me, the reunion would officially end the next Monday morning when I brought an aunt who was catching a red-eye flight back home to Denver at the Chicago O’hare airport.<br />
<br />
A note on the missionaries – Manang Marie, who I briefly chatted with after the cultural night shared her thoughts about honoring the missionaries through the preservation of the Igorot culture. She’s right. In a way, it took a group of outsiders to help the Sagada Igorot folks appreciate, understand, and take efforts to preserve their Igorot culture. These SMSSAFF reunions is not just about your typical high school gathering – in a highly inter-connected world where local traditions are slowly replaced by global trends, there is great value in being reminded that God has allowed us to be born in the place and culture we were in. We all have a past and a background and knowing such certainly keeps us from getting lost.<br />
<br />
I started this reflection with a reference to memories of food from childhood years. The whole reunion experience for me was a different kind of food – a somewhat spiritual nourishment type that kept me grounded to my roots, and was a refreshing reminder of where I came from. I don’t know if I would be able to attend the next SMSSAFF reunion that is being planned in Toronto on the summer of 2013. Attending or not, I’m still glad I got to have a taste of my old hometown of Sagada right here in metro-Chicago, the city I now call home. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
<b>Welcoming Alumni, Family, and Friends</b><br />
<br />
On a different scale, being part of the 5th St. Mary’s School Sagada Alumni Family and Friends (SMSSAFF) Conference that was held in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge was a drawn out 3-day “ratatouille moment”. My wife and I joined the host committee on Thursday, August 4, as alumni, family and friends started arriving to register for the event. We met relatives and friends from Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois – there could be more states represented, and I believe there were those from Canada, but those states mentioned were what I remembered.<br />
<br />
My wife and I didn’t graduate from St. Mary’s School (SMS) in Sagada – but my mother-in-law did. So did my dad (batch ’56), my mom (batch ’65), and my 3 older sisters who belonged to batch ’87, ’88, and ’90. Two of my brother-in-laws were also graduates of SMS. I was supposed to be a member of batch ’92 – but I was shipped to Manila for high school and missed all the fun. Still, I didn’t feel left out. The St. Mary’s tradition runs strong in my family and during the reunion, I somehow felt like I was representing my parents and sisters as they were not able to attend.<br />
<br />
<b>Anglican Mass and SMS Missionaries</b><br />
<br />
The reunion / conference was held in an episcopal church also known as St. Mary’s. The Anglican church service on Saturday morning was the first time I’ve attended in years. (My family now have affiliated ourselves to evangelical, non-denominational churches in more recent years.) It was the same traditional hymn mass I remember from my Sagada childhood with great fondness. Members of the alumni served during the service, and the hymns were also handpicked by them. At the end of the service, when the attendees started singing the SMS hymn to the tune of O Danny Boy, I felt a tinge of regret that my family members (my mom especially) who were supposed to be there were absent.<br />
<br />
Saturday evening was cultural night. The theme for the conference was about honoring Sagada’s teaching missionaries who were from various Anglican dioceses across the United States. These missionaries served in Sagada’s St. Mary’s school in the early 1900s and stayed in Sagada until the 1960s. In the photo slideshow which started the evening, there were images of SMS alumni who eventually settled in the US, visiting these same missionaries during their later years right here in their home country. I can only imagine what those missionaries may have felt like.<br />
<br />
Having stayed here in the US since 2006, I cannot imagine sacrificing comfortable living here and going to a strange mountainous land in the Far East to spend time with a group of people and culture that is too foreign from the one you’re used to. And after all the hard work and time spent, you actually get to see the fruit of your labor by having some of your students get to visit you back in your home country. Indeed, a theme that I’ve heard from the older alumni during the conference was of thanksgiving – the alumni are thankful to those brave teaching missionaries for the opportunities that it has provided the students and their families not just in their lifetime, but also for the next generations to come.<br />
<br />
CONTINUED here... <a href="http://sagada-igorot.blogspot.com/2011/08/taste-of-sagada-right-here-in-chicago_20.html">A Taste of Sagada right here in Chicago – Part II</a> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
List of Missionary Honorees (from the SMS Yahoogroups mailing list):<br />
<br />
1. The Community of St. Mary Nuns: 1917-1967 [Sagada Mission which includes SMSS]<br />
2. The Rt. Rev. Robert Franklin Wilner: 1923-1955 (Philippines); 1945-1946, 1949-1950 (SMSS)<br />
3. The Rev. Ezra Diman: 1932-1970 (Philippines); 1932-1938, 1948-1957 (SMSS)<br />
4. Miss Helen Boyle: 1941-1945, 1947-1965 (Philippines); 1947-1950 (SMSS)<br />
5. Deaconess Evelyn May Ashcroft: 1941-1945, 1951-1969 (Philippines); 1951-1952 (SMSS)<br />
6. Richard and Jean Morgan: 1949-1951 (SMSS)<br />
7. Olive Bird Tomlin: 1950-1955 (SMSS)<br />
8. Mr. John Randall Norton: 1951-1954 (SMSS)<br />
9. William Henry Scott: 1954-1993 (Philippines); 1954-1957, 1959-1963, 1970-1993 (SMSS)<br />
10. Hazel F. Gosline: 1955-1966 (SMSS)<br />
11. William Richard Hughes: 1956-1959 (SMSS)<br />
12. The Rev. George Clinton and Mary Jane Harries: 1956-1969 (Philippines); 1956-1962 (SMSS)<br />
13. The Rev. Archie C. Stapleton: 1959-1969 (SMSS)<br />
14. Anne Fox- Miller: 1966-1969 (SMSS)<br />
15. Ms. Anne Davidson: 1970 (SMSS)<br />
16 Ms. Janet Eason: 2005-Present (SMSS)<br />
<br />
Of the above, it is only the late Dr. William Henry Scott who I've personally interacted with. He used to visit my grandparents in Nangonogan. I've used some of his books as reference for papers done during my college years. I actually saw him walk the campus of the University of the Philippines in Diliman in the early 1990s, but as a teenager concerned with rather banal stuff, I didn't bother to have much conversation with him. That's a huge regret really - it would have been nice to pick the mind of not only one of Sagada's teaching missionaries, but an authority in Igorot history as well.<br />
<br />
The presentation "Sagada to Chicago Welcome, SMS Teaching Missionaries Slideshow" is posted in YouTube. Watch the presentation below:<br />
<br />
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ci8E8jzzJCM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
A photo gallery on the SMSSAFF Cultural Night is also available courtesy of Roel Marchadesch. Click on the photo below.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115402312679254320531/SMSAFFCulturalNightPix?feat=email" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" alt="Sagada 5th SMSSAFF Conference in Chicago - Cultural Night Photos" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4IHdo5m5h8qz6lDerWCOEbOlg6AADYWSvpPyLMyKv2M98z_oiZ5WT9a2_t_AXT0ZwHXgEKYZEa6BDaAHKtxFO1RXltSTr1lxoFNU_t-938rpEz8_vwnkkm6dbzyZptG5ER4rFKPmtBM/s400/sagada-photo.jpg" /></a><br />
</span><br />
<br />
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<br />
Ah, the above title and first three sentences is what every single Pacquaio fan including this blogger would like to see after the Pacquaio – Margarito fight tonight, at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. I’m not such a great fan of boxing. But after arriving in the United States in 2006, I have watched almost all of Pacquiao’s boxing matches. And, I’ve become a fan to the greatest and most exciting boxer in his generation. Who isn’t? Even at our Bible study last night, while our group settled down for dinner and discussions, the Pacquiao – Margarito was a non-stop topic. Even the nine-year old girl who prayed for the food ended her grace with “… Lord, please let Pacquiao win tomorrow”. <br />
<br />
This evening after worship services, my family and I will be joining a group of friends to cheer on the Filipino boxer. We would certainly not be alone. Millions, yes millions of Pacquiao fans around the world will be watching live. Here in the United States, thousands of fans will gather around TV sets that will be featuring the fight – whether that’s going to be in a bar, or in the comfort of their own homes. In the Philippines, I am sure that traffic and life in general will slow down on Sunday morning while people pause and watch the greatest Philippine boxer in action. There’s a joke that even the crime rate goes down when Pacquiao fights.<br />
<br />
I am also sure that plenty of Mexican fans will be watching tonight hoping to catch a glimpse of a remote Pacquiao defeat. Last year, when my family were at a USCIS office for the processing of our green cards, the Mexican guard had a conversation with my wife. Amongst other things they talked about, he said that Mexicans HATE the Filipino boxer. He said that Pacquiao is arrogant, not a good fighter, and should go back home to the Philippines and focus on boxing. We were just too polite to point out that maybe he felt that way because the Filipino champion has simply outclassed Mexican challengers again and again.<br />
<br />
There are two things that concern me in the fight though – the height and weight advantage of Margarito, and Pacquaio’s preparation (or lack of it). Pacquaio will be conceding 4 ½ inches in height and 6 ½ inches in reach when he faces Margarito. He may also be as much as 15 lbs lighter than his opponent when the bell rings to start the first round. Pacquiao weighed in at a low 144 lbs on Friday, as compared to the 150 lbs of Margarito. Regardless of how skilled Pacquiao is, these are disadvantages that he probably hasn’t faced before.<br />
<br />
The next concern is the noise in Pacquiao’s life. He was elected to the Philippine Congress last May and his training has been full of distractions. This is possibly the fight in recent history where he hasn’t put in the fully focused training he is known to do. Still, Pacquiao’s talent and heart has set him apart from other boxers in this generation, and it is this combination that has led him this far. I certainly hope that this is enough to allow me to check the headlines tonight and read the following: “Pacquiao KOs Margarito”.<br />
<br />
Click on photo below for a preview: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-fightbreakdown111110"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfov1e6lOqWWzsDKHFqD8wq4Vu73x7Py0c8xHiretIRzcp7cuz2fTPWOqZbsoLcCBygO6WQ5SbLSiOEifaCFyCJr0rU1Ni-mrOCSKGBPZk50naZSa6lBi0pXWjb_LvaWOvDxAInCYVxQ/s640/pacquaio-ko-margarito.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
PARTICIPANTS are encouraged to donate educational toys & books, any medical equipment to Sagada Hospital or medicines. These actions will make your trip more and memorable and you spiritually and emotionally healthy.<br />
<br />
Visit all the sites like : Banawe View Point, Bontok Museum (learn about the cultures and traditions of the People in Cordillera), SagadaTown Proper, Calvary Hills & Echo Valley with hanging coffins Hike thru magnificent Fedilisan Rice terraces going to a very refreshing and scenic Bomod-ok falls, swim or can climb the falls and jump, then adventure caving in Burial caves and Big Cave. Sagada Weaving & Kiltepan Tower for top view of Sagada. Side trip to Bontoc ukay-ukay or shop for souvenirs in Bontoc or Banawe <span id="fullpost"><br />
<br />
ITINERARY<br />
Day 0 Dec 26 Sun 9pm Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)<br />
<br />
Day 1 Dec 27 Mon 6 am Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Banawe Breakfast<br />
Banawe to Bontoc Road Trip Tour (lunch in Bontoc)<br />
Bontoc Museum<br />
Check in Sagada and enjoy the Town walking tour<br />
4pm Register at Sagada Tourism Center, Calvary Hills, Echo Valley with Hanging Coffins<br />
<br />
Day 2 Dec 28 Tues Sagada Tour: FREE and EASY Option to just chill (assisted and Facilitated)<br />
<br />
Day 3 Dec 29 Wed Sagada to Bontoc to Banawe<br />
Banawe Rice Terraces and Town Tour<br />
6pm Banawe to Manila or<br />
<br />
Day 4 Dec 30 Thur 3am Estimated Time of Arrival in Manila<br />
<br />
BUDGET BACKPACKER RATE w Dorm room w Private bath h warm shower<br />
P 3,549/pax October Reservation<br />
P 4,049/pax November Reservation<br />
P 4,799/pax December Reservation<br />
<br />
Inclusive of<br />
· Round Trip Aircon Bus Manila Banawe Manila<br />
<br />
· Private Service Transfer Banawe Sagada Banawe<br />
<br />
· 3days/2nights Accommodation family/dorm room<br />
<br />
· 1 Full day tour around Sagada<br />
<br />
· 3 buffet breakfast<br />
<br />
· Entrance Fees<br />
<br />
· Environment Fees<br />
<br />
ST.JOSEPH IN ACCOMMODATION w private bath and warm shower<br />
· P 4,249/pax (quad); P 4,749/pax (triple); P 5,499/pax (twin) October Reservation<br />
<br />
· P 4,499/pax (quad); P 4,999/pax (triple); P 5,749/pax (twin) November Reservation<br />
<br />
· P 4,749/pax (quad); P 5,249/pax (triple); P 5,999/pax (twin) December Reservation (if there are still slots available)<br />
<br />
Inclusive of<br />
· Round Trip Aircon Bus Manila Banawe Manila<br />
<br />
· Private Aircon Bus Transfer Banawe Sagada Banawe<br />
<br />
· 3days/2nights Accommodation family/dorm room<br />
<br />
· 2 Full day tour around Sagada<br />
<br />
· 3 buffet breakfast<br />
<br />
· Entrance Fees<br />
<br />
· Environment Fees<br />
<br />
NOT Included : lunch, dinner, pasalubong and souvenirs, tour expense on day 2 option to chill or really go extreme.<br />
<br />
IMPORTANT NOTES<br />
1. Always keep quiet on the trail, site & peak, so that the fog will not form & block the beautiful view, & keep the journey dry.<br />
2. Please donate educational books & toys to the community of Sagada<br />
3. ALWAYS ENJOY GOD’S DIVINE CREATION AND THE PEOPLE WITH YOU ON THIS CLIMB.<br />
4. We intentionally did not include the cost on Day 2 because it is subject to what you want to do and can do with in your budget.<br />
5. We also intentionally did not include lunch and dinner so you can enjoy food trip adventure with in your own budget.<br />
6. We are accepting reservation for Log Cabin Buffet on December 27 Monday for P 300<br />
7. We are organizing Pinikpikan and Pinakbet Eat all you can for P 199 and drink all you can Rice wine for P 50 on December 28 Tuesday<br />
8. Will be organizing White Water Rafting on Dec 28 Tues for P 2,500pax capacity of 6pax per raft.<br />
<br />
THINGS TO BRING PLEASE : bring all PLEASE<br />
1. Warm clothes according to itinerary and your fashion statement<br />
(wholesome lang po)<br />
2 Travel Water Bottle<br />
3. toiletries<br />
4. Raincoat & wind breaker & sweater & Jacket<br />
5. sunblock and lipbalm<br />
6. trail food/snack (chocolates, chips, fruits, jelly, powerbar)<br />
7. bonnet & mittens, hat or cap<br />
8. Camera<br />
9 Bags for pasalubong and souvenirs.<br />
10. Good Happy Sense of Humor<br />
<br />
TRIP INQUIRIES & RESERVATION<br />
Book and Buy/PAY Reservation Earliest possible to get your travel goal well organized. 50% reservation fee (non refundable but transferable) is required.<br />
Please Fill up the blanks below and email to mother_nature888@hotmail.com<br />
Company/Group: _______________________<br />
Contact Person :___________________________<br />
Land Line _____________________<br />
Cellphone :____________________<br />
Email Address:____________________<br />
Target EcoTour/Location: _______________<br />
Target Date of Travel :_________________<br />
Number of Participants: _______________<br />
Incomplete information will not be entertained<br />
Payment can be made at Las Pinas Home Office or BDO or Metrobank (for patrons n friends)<br />
Please scan the deposit slip and email it to mother_nature888@hotmail.com so we can email back the trip voucher, detailed trip info and official receipt.<br />
All Reservation are non refundable, non rebookable, but transferable to chance passengers.<br />
<br />
Happy to Serve, Thank you, Carpe Diem and GOD Bless<br />
Violet C. Imperial<br />
<br />
Nature Awareness & Conservation Club, Inc. (NonStock, NonProfit NGO)<br />
5157964 (9am to 5pm Only) / 09194839250 / 09155101600<br />
EMAIL: mother_nature888@hotmail.com<br />
BLOGSITE: http://philecotourism.wordpress.com<br />
PHOTOS : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=photos&gid=8004451681<br />
<br />
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8004451681<br />
<br />
http://mothernatureasia.multiply.com<br />
<br />
http://philippineecotourism.blogspot.com/</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
This achievement is being credited by school officials to an implementation of a 6-year high school program that began in 2006. In an ABS-CBN report titled <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/10/08/10/k12-sagada-experience">"K+12: The Sagada Experience"</a>, St. Mary's School of Sagada Principal Dennis Faustino said - "We topped the National Achievement Test twice in a row, including this year. The methodology is sound, my philosophy is sound, our teachers are doing a good job and it can be emulated across the country. I don't buy the excuse that [it's because] we are private school. I think it's just the ability to reach out to the kids and understand them and see how they respond to positive teaching".<br />
<br />
Faustino and other St. Mary's school officials support the government's plan to lengthen the current 4-year high school standard in the Philippines to that of a 6-year program that is in line with international standards. Majority of Asian countries including India, a top supplier of doctors, nurses, and IT professionals to the United States, implement a longer secondary school system. <br />
<br />
Personally, for the 6-year program to work in our country's school system, it has to be implemented properly. It's useless adding two additional years in high school without any specialization of some kind. It would be good to see the added years as a means for high school students to learn a specific skill that will allow them to be employable after high school. If, after high school, they would want to pursue further education, the additional two years of education would definitely make them very competitive in the international market.<br />
<br />
Related Links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/10/08/10/k12-sagada-experience">K+12: The Sagada Experience, by Caroline J. Howard, ABS-CBNnews.com</a><br />
<a href="http://smssagada.org/">Saint Mary's School of Sagada</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
The website provides a section on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) including minimum quantity required, order duration, cancellation policy, delivery information, and other pertinent information. Orders are accepted through an online order form, personal messages, or email. Both local and international orders are accepted. <br />
<br />
While the launch of the website just happened recently, KAMULO ENTERPRISE jackets have been available in the Baguio market for some time now. My wife actually used a Kamulo jacket in her first-ever 5K run near Chicago last month. It's very comfortable and stylish for the spring and fall weather here in the US Midwest, and can be worn casually. It's a good buy for the young and the young at heart.<br />
<br />
Don't wait any longer. <a href="http://kamulo.multiply.com/">Order your own KAMULO jacket by following this link</a>.<br />
<br />
<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsK8JpFGiQDE99RRoYnYISwmlHpHcojqfyRxO5-jrCGiU3dkb3_yyJkdGNpGo0l630X8_2x7vvibuNUi-Gm-NWzZKSPKwMdZg1N3F0TbBo1dg7u4eW-OiaV2sXvbQTrSaKj_gUpHhP1xg/s1600/kamulo-enterprise-shirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsK8JpFGiQDE99RRoYnYISwmlHpHcojqfyRxO5-jrCGiU3dkb3_yyJkdGNpGo0l630X8_2x7vvibuNUi-Gm-NWzZKSPKwMdZg1N3F0TbBo1dg7u4eW-OiaV2sXvbQTrSaKj_gUpHhP1xg/s320/kamulo-enterprise-shirts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
Auntie Mary worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Israel from 1998 to 2004. Prior to that, she was the high school teacher of my 3 older sisters in Sagada's St. Mary's school. Her second oldest daughter was my classmate in elementary school. Everyone familiar with her story know the challenges she has faced in life. She's a survivor, an inspiration, and a role model to others. Her unselfish community work is certainly worthy of mention in nationwide TV. Matago-tago ka, Auntie Mary. Sagada needs more residents like you.<br />
<br />
Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/09/30/10/ofw-shares-blessings-countrymen-mt-province#ooid=F1NHRxMTqMM0e2lbz1z_f8HcFKsEh2rd">ABS-CBN video of Mary Tumapang</a>. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lqh8e2KYIrU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lqh8e2KYIrU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<div><br />
<b><i>“Go ahead and teach your own people about your heritage, but if this book is attempting to portray igorots as equals to real filipinos I think this is a stupid thing.”</i></b></div><div><br />
Igorots are not real Filipinos? So, majority of the folks in the CORDILLERA REGION of NORTHERN PHILIPPINES are not Filipinos? This would include Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines whose mayor is an Igorot. The fact is, Igorots are real Filipinos, whether or not some misguided, uneducated, anonymous online poster who obviously has deep insecurities say otherwise. You’re the stupid one.</div><div><br />
<b><i>“There is a reason why igorots are barely covered in our educational books in schools in the philippines. It's because they are not worthy of the filipino name.”</i></b></div><div><br />
Not true. My eldest was homeschooled as a first grader in the Philippines. He was using a Filipino textbook for his Social Studies class and yes, I remember that it had a section on who is a Filipino or not. Among the groups mentioned are Igorots, Muslims, and Tagalogs. Go back and get an education, start with first grade.</div><div><br />
<b><i>“You pride yourselves as not being conquered by Spain, but I pride myself as being conquered by Spain because without them my ancestors would have stayed uneducated and uncivilized and there would be a nation of people still running around in loin clothes today.”</i></b></div><div><br />
This is laughable. Thailand was never conquered by any country. It’s in a much better state than the Philippines. Read Rizal’s major works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo so you could get an idea on what it was like during the Spanish rule. Women were raped, majority of the locals were oppressed including children, and people were kept uneducated. The Spaniards referred to the colonized people as “Indio”. Please go and research on how derogatory a term that was.<br />
<br />
</div><div>My professor at UP-Diliman stated that a lot of social problems in the Philippines today are a direct result of Spanish colonization. Our society’s addiction to showbiz? It’s a manner of escape. Generations of your ancestors would have gone through their lives under almost 400 years of Spanish rule having little or no hope at all. The manyana habit? Why strive today when there’s not much to strive for. Why do we have a lot of showbiz personalities elected? We, Filipinos, are continually looking for a hero ala Bong Revilla / Lito Lapid to liberate us from our dire circumstances. Here’s a thought – I’m 100% sure your ancestors would have opted for anything other than being conquered by Spain.</div><div><br />
<b><i>“But thanks to Spain, we are now educated, smart, civilized and even better looking today.”</i></b></div><div><br />
No, you’re not.</div><div><br />
Better looking? Intermarriage between Spaniards and the locals were not very common. Rape was.</div><div><br />
<b><i>“You don't see igorots on the popular filipino shows today do you? When it comes to great minds like Rizal or big achievers like Pacquiao, you won't find Igorots.”</i></b></div><div><br />
Popular Filipino shows? Ummm – let’s not get there. There are some showbiz personalities with Igorot ancestry but what has being in a popular show have something to with being a true Filipino? Let’s not be shallow shall we? Filipina heroine Gabriela Silang was part Igorot. It would be impossible to have an Igorot Rizal because again, the Igorots were not conquered by the Spaniards. Rizal’s works were a product of the Spanish oppression of our country. However, Igorots, my grandfather included, helped Americans liberate the Philippines from Japan. See <a href="http://sagada-igorot.blogspot.com/2009/04/general-macarthur-praised-igorot-wwii.html">General MacArthur praised Igorot Soldiers during WW2</a>. </div><div><br />
<b><i>“I rest my case.”</i></b><br />
<br />
You never had one to begin with.</div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I want to keep watching Olympic opening ceremonies as a tradition in my family; hope my children will recall these special moments when they grow up. <span id="fullpost"><br /><br />Over the course of the past two weeks, we watched in amazement as the best winter athletes in the world competed against each other. We cheered for US and Australian athletes - they represent the two countries where we are permanent residents of. There were two competitors who we followed closely - they are Amanda Evora from the pairs figure skating and J.R. Celski of short track. Evora's parents are both US immigrants from the Philippines; while Celski is the offspring of US immigrants from Poland and the Philippines. Evora didn't win a medal but she and her partner placed tenth, while Celski won two bronze medals.<br /><br />There were also some Olympians from the Chicago suburbs that we cheered for. Evan Lycasek outclassed the competition in winning the men's figure skating and he's from Napperville, IL. Shani Davis of Chicago duplicated his gold-silver haul from the previous Olympics. Then there's Katherine Reutter from Champaign, IL who won a silver in the ladies 1000 m short track, the first medal for a US woman in short track since 1994. Four teammates from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks will be in action in the men's hockey final tomorrow - three of them will be playing for Canada and one will be playing for the United States.<br /><br />My favorite events were short track, figure skating, and speed skating. My five year old's favorites were bobsleigh and luge. I found those two events to be too technical and really - does anyone enjoy watching those in TV? Apparently, my youngest son does, but I think he is looking more for those spectacular crashes more than anything else. <br /><br />One thing I like about the Olympics are the incredible stories surrounding the athletes. My favorites during these games are:<br /><br />- The Chinese figure skating pair who came out of retirement to fulfill their dream of an Olympic gold;<br />- The Canadian figure skater who competed and won a medal less than a week after her mother died;<br />- The Canadian men's mogul gold medalist who is continuously inspired by his older brother who has a disability;<br />- The young Korean figure skater who won her country's first Olympic medal in her sport and performed flawlessly under immense pressure to beat her own world record and win the gold by a huge margin; <br />- The Australian world champion skier who is a resident of Vancouver and unlike most athletes, have managed to keep his distance from the media;<br />- The young American short track athlete of Polish and Filipino ancestry who had sixty stitches on his leg due to an accident in the rink last November but still managed to recover on time for the games and win two medals in his first Olympics; <br />- The figure skater who is a child of Filipino immigrants who learned how to skate in a frozen pond near their house.<br /><br />The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics will end tomorrow with the completion of the gold medal match between Canada and the United States in men's hockey. It has been a great experience, our first time to completely follow the staging of a Winter Olympics. While the rest of the world will remember plenty of great and inspiring memories of these Games, a family in Georgia would have buried their beloved Nodar Kumaritashvili, the luge athlete who suffered a fatal crash the morning before the start of the Olympics. It was a dream that turned into a nightmare, as the hopes of a young man who spent so many hours training and qualifying for the Olympic event was dashed during a fateful practise session. I am hopeful that this story will not end as it is, that there will be something good that will come out of this tragedy. I'm not sure what it will be, but if there's something I learned from following the Olympics in the past 22 years, it is that hope trumps any human challenge - even death. Tomorrow will be a totally new day.<br /><br />Looking forward to the 2012 London Summer Olympics!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I do remember that I first started traveling this route in Grade 3, way back in 1984 when our whole family first spent our first Christmas and New Year in Baguio City with relatives in Loakan. During my high school and college days, I would travel through this highway at least 5 times a year when I would go home during the summer, semestral break and for the holidays. <span id="fullpost"><br /><br />The HALSEMA highway is a dangerous one - and on several occassions, it has been fatal to some travelers. I've lost an uncle - my mother's brother in an accident in the Halsema and some relatives as well. It is a route that features daunting curves. For several stretches, one side of the highway would be against a mountain side and for the other side, it would be a drop of several hundred feet. Still, I believe that the relatively few accidents in Halsema is a testament to the skill of Cordillera drivers. <br /><br />It is fascinating watching the bus drivers navigate through the dangers during a trip. Now that I'm driving, I fully appreciate how they could guide the buses safely to their destinations - day in and day out. I remember how they seemingly handle the steering wheel with ease. These are big wheels - mind you, probably twice or more the circumference of your normal sedan steering wheel. And, unless they've upgraded, the buses do not use power steering.<br /><br />I am reminded of the Halsema due to a recent a road trip. After midnight on January 2 this year, my family drove the 720+ miles from Maryland to our place in Illinois. We were supposed to leave January 2 evening, but due to the bad weather forecast for the weekend, I decided to pack-up and leave immediately. I was mostly concerned about ice on the highway in Pennsylvania and the lake effect snow in Indiana. As my wife did the packing and had no sleep, I was tasked to drive the first seven hours of the journey covering Maryland, Pennsylvania and into Ohio.<br /><br />In Pennsylvania, the snow showers started for dozens of miles at a time. I was fine with it because the roads weren't slippery. I took extra caution though not driving the maximum speed, and always making sure that the vehicles ahead of me were traveling at normal speeds. I was on the lookout for vehicles that were slowing down as that would indicate trouble. We left Pennsylvania with no trouble except for the occasions when the snow was falling down hard. <br /><br />As I drove into Ohio, the problems began. Snow was falling down hard and the highways were covered in an inch or so of snow. I couldn't see the yellow lines anymore and my only guide were the tire tracks ahead of me. It was around 5am so it was still very, very dark. I tried to use the fog lights of the minivan but it actually didn't help. It was actually worse since the lights were reflecting off the falling snow. I couldn't see any vehicles ahead, so I reduced my speed and I went slowly at 30-40mph. I was soon able to catch up with a group of vehicles that were traveling in a single file after around 30 minutes of driving on my own. Then and only then that I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. My wife who was awake enough to see the situation has been praying very hard.<br /><br />Morning came and the rest of our travel in Ohio was great. Snow was present but the roads were being treated and the sunshine was a welcome sight. My wife took over the driving and after a brunch stop, I was able to sleep for an hour or so. I dreaded passing by Indiana, but I knew the situation was better because it was daytime.<br /><br />My wife drove into Indiana before we switched. Visibility wasn't so good, and lake effect snow was falling down hard and made everything look gloomy. The snow scenes in this post were taken from Indiana. From the road, the scenes nearby looked very pretty - everything was covered in snow. My wife and I marveled at the irony... amidst all this beauty is the cold reality of danger. Indiana has the highest maximum speed at 70mph along our route and despite the very poor visibility, vehicles were wheezing by at such fast speeds. An accident at these speeds and with the traffic was bound to hurt a lot of people, and would most likely cause deaths as well. We drove for at least an hour in this condition.<br /><br />For every dark stage in a journey, there is always the bright side. As we were nearing Chicago, the skies suddenly brightened. It was as if the lake effect snow was constrained to only a particular part of Indiana. One could actually pinpoint a border where it was snowing and a few meters ahead, the snow stopped and the sun was shining brightly. Ah, thank GOD for a safe journey. We're now in Chicago. The sight of the Chicago Skyline and the Sears towers are always a welcome for us after a long drive from Maryland.<br /><br />We completed our trip all breaks included in 13 hours. Compare that to our record of 10 hours and 45 minutes during our recent Thanksgiving trip. The extra hours were mostly due to the meal break we had and the weather. But we got home safe and sound. <br /><br />HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all this blog's visitors. May it be a year of good health and joyful memories with your loved ones. And yes, stay safe during your trips.<br /><br /><i>Photo at the top and below: Road scenes from Indiana. Taken during morning hours, the sun wasn't shining and snow covered the trees and surroundings.</i><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfygQ9u1B4s1IKv5A_xvCj1cRa8RwXTHCpCNgpNQnCFV7dz0CQl4srfQ74Hu1K2haBiL4y3tCufyESLqXoYVb4KvqOpx7MXeD8db6XEUeff1w5Te173fT1fWTq6XdzmYqCBukpo4a7XEM/s1600-h/23.indiana1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfygQ9u1B4s1IKv5A_xvCj1cRa8RwXTHCpCNgpNQnCFV7dz0CQl4srfQ74Hu1K2haBiL4y3tCufyESLqXoYVb4KvqOpx7MXeD8db6XEUeff1w5Te173fT1fWTq6XdzmYqCBukpo4a7XEM/s400/23.indiana1.JPG" border="0" alt="i-Sagada Travel Photo2" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425050302974310082" /></a><br /><br /><i>Photo below: The Sears Tower is always a welcome sight after a long journey.</i><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2ZjgoxE_CvaI9UD3nbWJE-p3494hf2yOZBKTSfaKRJXbiVdfbAie_95hgH3EQVGdHKOnB6wryj3BOvvmXKGviwjqnBATDFK_8vhVLQ7DK7-kI1n-x44xCPpsZxCtfn3-Vt3UaNJOTAk/s1600-h/26.chicago.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2ZjgoxE_CvaI9UD3nbWJE-p3494hf2yOZBKTSfaKRJXbiVdfbAie_95hgH3EQVGdHKOnB6wryj3BOvvmXKGviwjqnBATDFK_8vhVLQ7DK7-kI1n-x44xCPpsZxCtfn3-Vt3UaNJOTAk/s400/26.chicago.JPG" border="0" alt="i-Sagada Travel Photo3" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425050303732327090" /></a><br /><br /><i>Photo below: My boys pose by our very dirty and grime/snow/salt covered faithful minivan. I had to wait later in the week for another winter storm before giving it a good exterior car wash.</i><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKz78fW3Tl4amwRrTFsYvqplfWBiBmsVr9xWwhvsks9XParwu50HDz4uUmuGJG8VW2lZk7eOqMqHoOPa664bSuOsDNWvU_2zzknxEeub0eiy8ZXcVVPX6WBahFwkzbavvKDfXiwSWm9Y/s1600-h/28.dirtyvan.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKz78fW3Tl4amwRrTFsYvqplfWBiBmsVr9xWwhvsks9XParwu50HDz4uUmuGJG8VW2lZk7eOqMqHoOPa664bSuOsDNWvU_2zzknxEeub0eiy8ZXcVVPX6WBahFwkzbavvKDfXiwSWm9Y/s400/28.dirtyvan.JPG" border="0" alt="i-Sagada Travel Photo4" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425061422496718322" /></a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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It has been a great Christmas Eve spent first by attending a Christmas worship service, then spending the rest of the evening at the house of one of my sisters here in Maryland. For the first time in many, many years, Maryland actually out-snowed Illinois. Click on the photo taken from one of my sister's houses. They haven't dared remove the accumulated snow at their deck. It's more than a foot high. <span id="fullpost"><br /><br />#1. <b>Christmas is best spent with family.</b> Three of my sisters and their families live in Maryland. We're the only ones residing in Illinois. We postponed our Illinois - Maryland trip from Dec 18 evening to Dec 21 evening due to the worst winter storm in Maryland. When we finally hit the road, the forecast was clear all throughout our journey. BUT, reality was different. The visibility was very bad when we passed Indiana with snow swirling all around. <br /><br />The worst happened in Pennsylvania though. We were travelling at the maximum speed when I felt our minivan slip in the road. I immediately slowed down and sure enough, saw that the highway was covered in a thin layer of ice. I noticed the vehicles ahead of us were going very slow and had their hazard lights on. I did the same. The scarier part was ahead of us. As we were crossing a bridge, we could see a small car ahead of us slowly losing control and slipping sideways as it crossed the bridge. I thought we were crazy to have taken the drive we did. But who could have known? A college friend did the same drive at a time that the forecast was worse. Their family encountered less problems than we did.<br /><br />God was real gracious and allowed us to complete our journey without any other incidents. Christmas is meant to be spent with family and we are just so happy to be here. <br /><br />#2. <b>Look out for Christmas blessings.</b> They're everywhere. While we were very bored and anxious waiting whether or not to make the trip to Maryland, we decided to attend the Sunday worship service at Willow Creek church in South Barrington. It was the biggest church I've seen so far. I've heard a lot about the church for a long time now and had made plans to visit it earlier. I'm glad we did this particular Sunday.<br /><br />The Christmas carol singing was wonderful. Led by a nationally-acclaimed choir director, the whole congregation were urged to sing their best for Jesus. After all, isn't He the reason for the season? At least a couple of thousand voices joined the choir with joyful voices and it was hard to imagine not being blessed for taking part in those songs. The singing was recorded and was available in a CD after the service. Now I have my own Christmas album.<br /><br />The message was simple yet profound. Jesus was the only human ever to have a say on when and where He would be born. He chose to enter our world through a place where animals were kept, and chose parents that society would have easily ignored as insignificant. Imagine the dirt, the noise, the chaos, the circumstances where the animals stayed - he chose to enter the very world he created in the most humble manner. Imagine what Joseph and Mary would have thought about delivering a baby in the least ideal of settings - and yet, that was the time that Jesus chose to arrive.<br /><br />Indeed, God rarely shows up in situations when everything is under our control. It is when we are most needy, when we are most weak, when we are most humbled, and when we are most searching that He chooses to show Himself. Now that I think about it, it is in our most vulnerable moments that we can actually show our purest love. And rightfully, those moments are when we most encounter JESUS - love in human form.<br /><br />We wouldn't have heard of the message had we not been delayed. God's timing is always perfect. We just have to wait on Him.<br /><br /><i>As the old ladies would say in my hometown of Sagada, MILI KLISMAS! Spend it well with your family, and keep your eyes wide open for those Christmas blessings.</i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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The audience were mostly family members of those who were performing.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wAwRbit_gi4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wAwRbit_gi4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Grade 5 Performance: My son is the kid in front of the second column from the left. I was pretty amused at the applause the audience gave the beginner's orchestra after each tune.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kfB7ExIjgWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kfB7ExIjgWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Grade 6 Peformance: There is a young Fil-Am amongst the better players in this group. He is the violin player on the left of the conductor. The group played a catchy "Frosty the Snowman" and the audience responded by clapping along. My son said they shouldn't have done that because it was difficult to hear the music. I thought it was just appropriate - the audience were showing their appreciation. And, it was sort of a family-type concert, not a formal one.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YigA2ZIYhRI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YigA2ZIYhRI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Grade 7: Look for a guy on the far-end left. He was really good. I'm not a violin expert but one could tell he was enjoying and performing well. He was one of the few violin soloists, and he also played a different instrument later in the evening.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UzCTpv_auF4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UzCTpv_auF4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Junior High (Grade 7 & Grade 8) Ensemble: Playing one of the more popular pieces for the night. My wife actually counted that of the 16 members of the group, 13 of them were of Asian descent.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gIz1ZmEd7WI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gIz1ZmEd7WI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Flashback: Video of my son 5 years ago performing at his first violin group recital in the Philippines. He stopped playing the violin for 4 years and had to start again under the beginner's orchestra group at age 10. Now that I think about it, the complexity of what he was doing then was not much different from what he was doing now.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QK_GaaNf-_Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QK_GaaNf-_Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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He had fun learning the spelling and meaning of some of the longest words there are including "antidisestablishmentarianism" and "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis". I was surprised to know that "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" was even a word. And, he laughed out loud when he was telling me about the meaning of "floccinaucinihilipilification". (Before you get too impressed with how I’m spelling these words, do know that I’m just copying and pasting from Google.) Yep, he amazed me with how he can say these words in a straight manner when they all seem like tongue twisters to me.<br /><br />On a separate note, he said that a particular classmate whom he bested when they both run for class student council representative literally begged him not to take part in the spelling bee so others can also have a chance to represent the class. This girl apparently told him to “please, please not join the spelling bee”. Others were also already telling my son that he’ll surely get one of the 2 slots for the class. So yep, my son knew that he was a frontrunner early on.<br /><br />Days passed by and we barely noticed it. Pretty soon, my son was cramming one Wednesday night because his class spelling bee was the next day. On hindsight, I can say that my son fell to what we Pinoys call the “ningas cogon” mentality. He failed to follow up on his initial super-enthusiasm. It probably didn’t help that the bee fell on the last week of the calendar year, a relatively busy week in a 5th grader’s calendar.<br /><br />On Thursday evening, I learned that he didn’t get one of the two slots for his class. He fell in the second round. More surprising I guess, is the word where he made a mistake. He spelled "casino" incorrectly. Upon hearing that, our 3rd grader looked up from a book he was reading and said: “I can spell that – c-a-s-i-n-o”. I’m sure that didn’t sit well with his older brother. At his class, our eldest spelled the word with a double "s".<br /><br />As a very competitive person, my son dislikes not coming out on top. But what really got into him was the ribbing he got from his classmates. "I couldn’t believe you didn’t know how to spell that!" were one of the friendlier lobs that were sent his way. His mother had a consolation for him – "it just means our family is not really into gambling". Way to go, mom. That night, he had to focus on something else. He joined other 5th graders as they performed in a winter orchestra – the first of three that they’ll be performing for the school year.<br /><br />*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***<br /><br />On Sunday evening, we were singing some Christmas Carols to pass the time. I was telling my sons how we as children changed the words of "Feliz Navidad" to "Bilis Binigat". Loosely translated, that means "dried fish (bilis) every breakfast (binigat)" in Ilokano. Not knowing Ilokano, my eldest enthusiastically said that he knew what I was singing about. He thought it was about telling a heavy child to hurry up. I looked at him, puzzled. He explained - "You know - bilis is fast, bigat is heavy". Hehehe, poor child. He was using Tagalog to translate the phrase. I cracked up. I was about to tease him on "casino" but not wanting to spoil the mood, I stopped short of doing that.<br /><br />*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***<br /><br />On some long-ish drives, the boys would amuse themselves by imitating a spelling bee. Recently, they asked me to give them some spelling words.<br /><br />Me: "Ok, spell this (don't remember the word but it was a non-English one)."<br />Eldest: "Can you give me the definition please?"<br />Me: "It means ***definition of word***".<br /><br />Eldest: "Can you give me a different pronunciation, please?"<br />At this point, I'd give a different pronunciation in my best foreign accent.<br /><br />Eldest: "Can you give me the origin, please?"<br />Me: "It's ***name of language***".<br /><br />My eldest remains stumped. At this point, he starts giggling. In his most innocent tone, he asks,<br />"Can you give me the spelling please?"</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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