Some nights can really be boring in Naga City. There are numerous bars, grills, restaurants and watering holes in almost all parts of the city but the monotonous themes of each are not so enticing for friends who wanted to experience a different kind of night, something out of the original, something adventurous, something risky, something fun.
Been gone to almost all the bars within the city and the thought of having to be inside those venues again and listening to the same sounds, ordering the same beer and meeting the same bunch of people of frequent the place can be annoying. It can be so boring that instead of going out and celebrate the beautiful night, I can be glued at the monitor of my workstation do some office works and or visit the same old social networking site again.
Tonight can be one of those boring nights. But me, myself and my friend Derf are not about to accept that conventional. We will make tonight a good night and the only way to make it so is to travel to Manila, one night only, and experience the fascinating night Manila can offer. Yes we are and we got nothing but ourselves, one bottle of Red Horse beer, four Magic Flakes cracker and his car. At quarter past one in the afternoon, we began the approximately 377kilometer journey to Manila.
Travelling no slower than 80 kilometers per hour in open highways, we were cruising the zigzag road of Quezon Province by 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Three and a half hours after that, we were at the Toll Gate of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). But before we proceed to our final destination, we agreed to pick up two friends along the way. One is Nilo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and the other is Pedro (Deps) in Bacoor, Cavite.
Nilo was waiting for us at Jollibee near the Balibago Complex in Sta. Rosa. There was minor confusion though before we found him at the right spot. He texted us that he was waiting at Jollibee near the “Complex” but his text reads “Caltex”. So when we get across Jollibee beside Caltex we stopped and look for him. Unfortunately, there are 3 other Jollibee stores in the area and the other is near the Complex where he was waiting. Turned out, the guy was already half-drunk.
Deps was waiting at his house in Bacoor. We got there around 11PM already. The traffic and the confusions of Nilo’s whereabouts caused us several hours of fun. After getting Deps, we went straight to the gimik capital of Manila – Malate. The district offers superb choices of fun from basic strippers to comedy bars and from acoustics to live bands. We headed straight to the new Cowboy Grill near Adriatico Circle.
There were three bands performing tonight plus a special band covering all Scorpions Music. We didn’t know that but that came in as a sweet surprise for Nilo and Derf. The Scorpions Band from Germany is one of the coolest heavy metal bands of their generation. The lead singer of the local group mimicked Klaus Meine, Scorpions Lead Singer, with maximum authenticity. The other 3 bands performed cool music from light rock, alternative, RNB, pop and retro genre. We downed two beer towers and one crispy pata before we called it a night, or should I say morning. At 4AM, we headed back to Nilo’s place and waited for the new sunrise.
I still have a mini-hangover while writing this piece. Check this back again for errors later. Happy Birthday Nilo.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Taking the Big Leap: The CWC Acquaintance Party
I’m on my 10th year at STI Education Services Group already. Over those years, I have always been part of the group that handles events for students either as the lead person or as support structure. Among the events I have handled and been part of are the different Acquaintance Parties of various STI schools each being held at Restaurants, Grills, Bars and Resorts. All venues offered speckled experiences for the students but NOTHING that compares to CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) of Bicol!
Camsur Watersports Complex or more proudly known as CWC is the hottest place in the world today for athletes and wakeboarding enthusiast. We Bicolanos have grown witness on how CWC has changed the face of Bicol Tourism from a virtually unknown Province into one of the most visited Province in the country all because of this wonderful attraction called CWC. At one point, CamSur has even outnumbered Boracay in terms of tourist arrivals for certain period last year.
The theme for this year’s STI College Naga’s Acquaintance Party is just equally fitting with the venue. The school is taking a BIG leap forward to a bigger and better Institution as it is now on the process of upgrading its Institutional status from a Vocational School into a Full-pledge College Institution. The market and industry needs are rapidly changing brought about by the advancements in technology. Just as CamSur have taken a gigantic step forward years before with the investments in CWC, STI College Naga is taking a strategic stance to better prepare the Institution for greater challenges ahead, thus, we have taken the Big Leap now. And I have to mention, STI College Naga is the first Educational Institution that has held its Acquaintance Party at the CWC!
STI students from almost all corners of CamSur have long prepared for this once-a-year celebration. And tonight, all the anticipation, preparations, eagerness and exhilaration will be turned into endless perspiration as everyone will be treated to a night of world-class presentations, good foods, cold beers, cool sounds that can burn the dance floor with live beats and mixes from the electrifying DJs of Naga City’s hottest, DWOK-FM.
One of the most anticipated part of the Acquaintance Party program are the Hataw Sayaw, Battle of the Bands, Pop Idol Singing Competition and the Search for Mister and Miss STI. Candidates to these events have been carefully screened to make certain that only those qualified to give world-class presentations can take the center stage at this world-class venue. With the screening over, there is nothing left for the audience, students and guest to enjoy but the best STI College Naga students can offer.
The stage has been turned into a battlefield for a moment during the fiercely fought competitions. When the smokes have cleared out, the best performances for the night in the Battle of the Bands, Hataw Sayaw and Pop Idol were judged Champions. Genesis Band ruled the battle, 2nd Avenue took the Hataw and Marlou Narvaez is set to be the next Pinoy Idol. Weljohn Monson was chosen Mr. STI and Wendy Pan was crowned Ms. STI. These winners will be given the change to represent STI College Naga in the Grand National Finals at Enchanted Kindgom on August 27 but they first have to dispose of their STI College Legazpi counterparts on August 14, 2010 at the Cluster Meet.
The CWC Acquaintance experience is one-of-a-kind for the students and employees alike. There were no “Sir’s” and “Madam’s” for one night with all enjoying each other’s company in the middle of the dance floor. Over a few bottles of beer and nicely grilled pork, stories and laughter filled the starry, starry night. This early, I have my sight on the next Acquaintance Celebration. And yes, CWC is one cool place to be!
Camsur Watersports Complex or more proudly known as CWC is the hottest place in the world today for athletes and wakeboarding enthusiast. We Bicolanos have grown witness on how CWC has changed the face of Bicol Tourism from a virtually unknown Province into one of the most visited Province in the country all because of this wonderful attraction called CWC. At one point, CamSur has even outnumbered Boracay in terms of tourist arrivals for certain period last year.
The theme for this year’s STI College Naga’s Acquaintance Party is just equally fitting with the venue. The school is taking a BIG leap forward to a bigger and better Institution as it is now on the process of upgrading its Institutional status from a Vocational School into a Full-pledge College Institution. The market and industry needs are rapidly changing brought about by the advancements in technology. Just as CamSur have taken a gigantic step forward years before with the investments in CWC, STI College Naga is taking a strategic stance to better prepare the Institution for greater challenges ahead, thus, we have taken the Big Leap now. And I have to mention, STI College Naga is the first Educational Institution that has held its Acquaintance Party at the CWC!
STI students from almost all corners of CamSur have long prepared for this once-a-year celebration. And tonight, all the anticipation, preparations, eagerness and exhilaration will be turned into endless perspiration as everyone will be treated to a night of world-class presentations, good foods, cold beers, cool sounds that can burn the dance floor with live beats and mixes from the electrifying DJs of Naga City’s hottest, DWOK-FM.
One of the most anticipated part of the Acquaintance Party program are the Hataw Sayaw, Battle of the Bands, Pop Idol Singing Competition and the Search for Mister and Miss STI. Candidates to these events have been carefully screened to make certain that only those qualified to give world-class presentations can take the center stage at this world-class venue. With the screening over, there is nothing left for the audience, students and guest to enjoy but the best STI College Naga students can offer.
The stage has been turned into a battlefield for a moment during the fiercely fought competitions. When the smokes have cleared out, the best performances for the night in the Battle of the Bands, Hataw Sayaw and Pop Idol were judged Champions. Genesis Band ruled the battle, 2nd Avenue took the Hataw and Marlou Narvaez is set to be the next Pinoy Idol. Weljohn Monson was chosen Mr. STI and Wendy Pan was crowned Ms. STI. These winners will be given the change to represent STI College Naga in the Grand National Finals at Enchanted Kindgom on August 27 but they first have to dispose of their STI College Legazpi counterparts on August 14, 2010 at the Cluster Meet.
The CWC Acquaintance experience is one-of-a-kind for the students and employees alike. There were no “Sir’s” and “Madam’s” for one night with all enjoying each other’s company in the middle of the dance floor. Over a few bottles of beer and nicely grilled pork, stories and laughter filled the starry, starry night. This early, I have my sight on the next Acquaintance Celebration. And yes, CWC is one cool place to be!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
What Children’s Grades Are Telling Their Parents
My three lovely, beautiful and energetic kids are in their primary schooling stage at St. Paul Academy. All of which have their own levels of consistency in their respective academic activities. Angel, the eldest is in Grade 4 and she has been a consistent honor pupil since pre-school. Xavier, in Grade 3 and the only boy in the family is a consistent lagger since pre-school. Maria Theressa, in her last year in Pre-School is a consistent Asthmatic.
Last week, they took their First Monthly Test and for the first time since they started their schooling activities I took time to take a closer look at their examination results and try to decode the hidden message for each score in each subject from English to Religion. There must be something that these scores are telling us. It is said that numbers don’t lie and these numbers are the accurate benchmarks of any performance be it in business or in any personal career.
Filipino
Angel’s score in this subject is 48/50 or 98%. Xavier’s is 13/50 or 63%. Maria Theressa’s (Motet) score is 23/30 or 80%. Collectively, their general average in Filipino is 80% given a grading system where the middle score gets a passing rate of 75%. It’s a passing grade for all of them and the grade could have been higher if not of the forgettable performance of Xavier who is 12 points short of the middle mark. Angel and Motet’s message is simple; they can handle Filipino subjects with their current allowance rate. Xavier’s message is different, at the rate his grade in this subject is going, he wants to have more exposure at Cinema One and PBO Channels. These two cable stations are the only station that offers All-Filipino movies.
English
Angel is 49/50 or 99%; Xavier is 12/50 or 62% and Maria Theressa is 25/30 or 90%. Collectively, the team of Angel, Xavier and Maria Theressa got an average score of 84% in English. Still, it’s a passing rate for the team again if not for the lackluster performance of Xavier who this time is 13 points short of getting to the middle spot. Angel and Motet’s score tells me they are enjoying HBO, Star Movies, Cartoon Network and Disney Channels more than anything else. Xavier needs to do some catching up; his grade in both Filipino and English might cause him his late night TV viewing habits to an indefinite stoppage.
Math
Angel got 49/50 or 99%; Xavier has 38/50 or 88% and Maria Theressa posted an exceptional 30/30 or 100%! As a team, their average grade in Math is an amazing 96%. The three kids are telling their parents, me in particular, that it’s time to increase their daily allowances. Their grades tell their parents that they can handle large numbers and coins in their pockets are no longer posting any challenge in their arithmetic skills. They are now ready for the complicated computation of bigger paper bills.
Science
Angel’s score is 38/50 or 88%. Xavier got 24/50 or 74%. Motet has 25/30 or 90%. Collectively, their average score in Science is 84%. In this subject, Motet, the youngest, performed better than her sister Angel and both have the same message. They need to more outside exposure. The 6:00pm weekdays playtime curfew needs some 30 minutes extension and weekends should have no limitations. With his grade in Science, Xavier’s playtime needs more re-channeling and re-evaluation. His basketball and computer games failed to manifest the science in them. Looks like Counter Strike and NBA Live needs to take a back seat in favor of Encarta and Discovery Channel.
Religion.
Angel’s Religion score is 45/50 or 95%; Xavier’s is 36/50 or 86% while Motet’s score is 28/30 or 96%. As a team, their average score in Religion is 92%. This is one of the 3 subjects from which Xavier posted a passing mark. The other two are Math (88%) and Computer (83%). His learning skills are more of an analytic and visual type rather than structured and formal. Nevertheless, their collective performance in Religion demands a more and deeper appreciation of Family, Relationships, Values and the Church. As parents, it’s our duty to provide living examples of the above. I need to dwell less on internal family and relationship issues to get them going in their Religion subjects.
Back in Grade 1, Angel, Xavier and I had an agreement. It’s simple, for Angel, I told her if she gets to be the 3rd Honor (she always is at the 4th and 5th) she will have the computer unit that she wanted. She got her computer unit in back in December of 2008 while she was Grade 2 as a fulfillment of our pact. My accord with Xavier is long overdue on his part for he is now in Grade 3. The deal is plain and simple, if and when he gets to the honor list, be it 10th or 5th or anywhere in between, he will get his Play Station Portable (PSP). The PSP is still displayed over at SM City now with a new and better model than before. Xavier is still working on his PSP. It may take eternity or the next monthly test to have it and we don’t really know. One thing is for sure, it will take extra efforts and sacrifices on his side to have his dream toy. As the only boy, he needs to realize that victory is sweeter if he works hard for it and earn it at the right time.
Take your time Xavier, I too am still working for the cash. When I have enough maybe then you’ll ask me up stage to pin your honor ribbon (I have never set foot on that stage). Until then, we can meet at the middle.
Last week, they took their First Monthly Test and for the first time since they started their schooling activities I took time to take a closer look at their examination results and try to decode the hidden message for each score in each subject from English to Religion. There must be something that these scores are telling us. It is said that numbers don’t lie and these numbers are the accurate benchmarks of any performance be it in business or in any personal career.
Filipino
Angel’s score in this subject is 48/50 or 98%. Xavier’s is 13/50 or 63%. Maria Theressa’s (Motet) score is 23/30 or 80%. Collectively, their general average in Filipino is 80% given a grading system where the middle score gets a passing rate of 75%. It’s a passing grade for all of them and the grade could have been higher if not of the forgettable performance of Xavier who is 12 points short of the middle mark. Angel and Motet’s message is simple; they can handle Filipino subjects with their current allowance rate. Xavier’s message is different, at the rate his grade in this subject is going, he wants to have more exposure at Cinema One and PBO Channels. These two cable stations are the only station that offers All-Filipino movies.
English
Angel is 49/50 or 99%; Xavier is 12/50 or 62% and Maria Theressa is 25/30 or 90%. Collectively, the team of Angel, Xavier and Maria Theressa got an average score of 84% in English. Still, it’s a passing rate for the team again if not for the lackluster performance of Xavier who this time is 13 points short of getting to the middle spot. Angel and Motet’s score tells me they are enjoying HBO, Star Movies, Cartoon Network and Disney Channels more than anything else. Xavier needs to do some catching up; his grade in both Filipino and English might cause him his late night TV viewing habits to an indefinite stoppage.
Math
Angel got 49/50 or 99%; Xavier has 38/50 or 88% and Maria Theressa posted an exceptional 30/30 or 100%! As a team, their average grade in Math is an amazing 96%. The three kids are telling their parents, me in particular, that it’s time to increase their daily allowances. Their grades tell their parents that they can handle large numbers and coins in their pockets are no longer posting any challenge in their arithmetic skills. They are now ready for the complicated computation of bigger paper bills.
Science
Angel’s score is 38/50 or 88%. Xavier got 24/50 or 74%. Motet has 25/30 or 90%. Collectively, their average score in Science is 84%. In this subject, Motet, the youngest, performed better than her sister Angel and both have the same message. They need to more outside exposure. The 6:00pm weekdays playtime curfew needs some 30 minutes extension and weekends should have no limitations. With his grade in Science, Xavier’s playtime needs more re-channeling and re-evaluation. His basketball and computer games failed to manifest the science in them. Looks like Counter Strike and NBA Live needs to take a back seat in favor of Encarta and Discovery Channel.
Religion.
Angel’s Religion score is 45/50 or 95%; Xavier’s is 36/50 or 86% while Motet’s score is 28/30 or 96%. As a team, their average score in Religion is 92%. This is one of the 3 subjects from which Xavier posted a passing mark. The other two are Math (88%) and Computer (83%). His learning skills are more of an analytic and visual type rather than structured and formal. Nevertheless, their collective performance in Religion demands a more and deeper appreciation of Family, Relationships, Values and the Church. As parents, it’s our duty to provide living examples of the above. I need to dwell less on internal family and relationship issues to get them going in their Religion subjects.
Back in Grade 1, Angel, Xavier and I had an agreement. It’s simple, for Angel, I told her if she gets to be the 3rd Honor (she always is at the 4th and 5th) she will have the computer unit that she wanted. She got her computer unit in back in December of 2008 while she was Grade 2 as a fulfillment of our pact. My accord with Xavier is long overdue on his part for he is now in Grade 3. The deal is plain and simple, if and when he gets to the honor list, be it 10th or 5th or anywhere in between, he will get his Play Station Portable (PSP). The PSP is still displayed over at SM City now with a new and better model than before. Xavier is still working on his PSP. It may take eternity or the next monthly test to have it and we don’t really know. One thing is for sure, it will take extra efforts and sacrifices on his side to have his dream toy. As the only boy, he needs to realize that victory is sweeter if he works hard for it and earn it at the right time.
Take your time Xavier, I too am still working for the cash. When I have enough maybe then you’ll ask me up stage to pin your honor ribbon (I have never set foot on that stage). Until then, we can meet at the middle.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Finding Marina Bay Sands
Armed with maps, a few dollar bills, one chocolate bar and sheer determination, I embarked on a journey to find one of the most amazing architectural wonder in Singapore, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel located at the Bayfront Avenue along Marina Bay Waterfront. I have no worries getting lost along the way, I ever I do, all I have to do is look up and I’ll surely see the three magnificent towers with a ship on top of it, then I’ll be right back on track again.
First stop, Peninsula excelsior Hotel lobby. I need to make sure I have the right direction so I asked the concierge on what’s the best route to get to Marina Bay Sands. He suggested I take a cab but that’s not too challenging. I wanted to have some certain degree of risk and adventure so he suggested I take the Subway. Hmm. Interesting. I haven’t really tried riding any subway transport system so I said to myself it’s worth giving a try. The direction is simple; take the MRT north & South Route Subway Train at the City Hall Station to the Marina Bay Station and take a bus going to the Marina Bay Sands.
The MRT City Hall Terminal is just a 10-minute walk from the Hotel. I didn’t have any worries getting there. The real and unexpected predicament is how do I purchase the ticket for the train ride, how much will it cost me and which machine should I use to purchase one. See, Singapore’s transportation system is being serviced via an EZ Link Card which can be used for trains, buses and cab fares. All one has to do is to purchase an EZ Link Card value of which will depend on your utilization plan. I didn’t know that information until I finished my adventure. After asking couple of questions from the information officer (answers of which are really hard to understand) and minutes of observing the commuters purchase and reload their EZ Tickets, I got the courage to fall in line and buy my first ever EZ Link ticket.
I got my single journey ticket for 2 Dollars and proceeded to the direction that says Marina Bay. Going down the escalator, I noticed that there are 2 terminals below the City Hall Station. One for the North and South (Red Lane) route the other is for the Green Lane which services the east and West routes. That does not worry me though; all I need to do is follow the signs. Waiting at the flat form, I also noticed that the subway system have installed protective division at the edge of the railway flat form to avoid passengers getting strucked by an incoming train. Pretty cool idea.
The MRT ride ended at the Marina Bay Station which is also the last station. The next mission I need to accomplish is to find the bus stop and book myself a seat to the Marina Bay Sands. Across the busy streets of Central Boulevard I found the bus stop. As the bus stopped to get the passengers waiting at the stop, I hopped into the bus for the ride. Wollah! To my surprise, the bus is also using an EZ Link Card! Unfortunately for me, my EZ Link Card is empty already. So I asked the bus driver if I just can pay him in cash. He said yes, I asked how much, he said 1 Dollar, I got 10Dollar Bill in my pocket, he said no change and just told me to seat down and my fare is free. I thanked him for that.
After 2 minutes, I alighted from the bus and I was staring up close and personal at the magnificent Marina Bay Sands Hotel. At first glance one would really wonder, how the hell did the architects and the engineers managed to put the large ship on top of the 3 towers? The hotel structure inside and out is so amazing! The ship or the Sky Park on top of the 3 towers offers guest a panoramic view of the entire Singapore landscape! Too bad I did find the “stairs” (hahaha) going to the top so I just settled my eyes on the view from below.
I felt a degree of accomplishment having set foot on the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This project was developed by the Las Vegas Sands and it is considered today as the most expensive stand alone casino and 5 Star Hotel. The trip is all worth it and for the heck of it, I didn’t mind the scorching sun on my way back to the Peninsula. Finding Marina is an experience of a lifetime.
First stop, Peninsula excelsior Hotel lobby. I need to make sure I have the right direction so I asked the concierge on what’s the best route to get to Marina Bay Sands. He suggested I take a cab but that’s not too challenging. I wanted to have some certain degree of risk and adventure so he suggested I take the Subway. Hmm. Interesting. I haven’t really tried riding any subway transport system so I said to myself it’s worth giving a try. The direction is simple; take the MRT north & South Route Subway Train at the City Hall Station to the Marina Bay Station and take a bus going to the Marina Bay Sands.
The MRT City Hall Terminal is just a 10-minute walk from the Hotel. I didn’t have any worries getting there. The real and unexpected predicament is how do I purchase the ticket for the train ride, how much will it cost me and which machine should I use to purchase one. See, Singapore’s transportation system is being serviced via an EZ Link Card which can be used for trains, buses and cab fares. All one has to do is to purchase an EZ Link Card value of which will depend on your utilization plan. I didn’t know that information until I finished my adventure. After asking couple of questions from the information officer (answers of which are really hard to understand) and minutes of observing the commuters purchase and reload their EZ Tickets, I got the courage to fall in line and buy my first ever EZ Link ticket.
I got my single journey ticket for 2 Dollars and proceeded to the direction that says Marina Bay. Going down the escalator, I noticed that there are 2 terminals below the City Hall Station. One for the North and South (Red Lane) route the other is for the Green Lane which services the east and West routes. That does not worry me though; all I need to do is follow the signs. Waiting at the flat form, I also noticed that the subway system have installed protective division at the edge of the railway flat form to avoid passengers getting strucked by an incoming train. Pretty cool idea.
The MRT ride ended at the Marina Bay Station which is also the last station. The next mission I need to accomplish is to find the bus stop and book myself a seat to the Marina Bay Sands. Across the busy streets of Central Boulevard I found the bus stop. As the bus stopped to get the passengers waiting at the stop, I hopped into the bus for the ride. Wollah! To my surprise, the bus is also using an EZ Link Card! Unfortunately for me, my EZ Link Card is empty already. So I asked the bus driver if I just can pay him in cash. He said yes, I asked how much, he said 1 Dollar, I got 10Dollar Bill in my pocket, he said no change and just told me to seat down and my fare is free. I thanked him for that.
After 2 minutes, I alighted from the bus and I was staring up close and personal at the magnificent Marina Bay Sands Hotel. At first glance one would really wonder, how the hell did the architects and the engineers managed to put the large ship on top of the 3 towers? The hotel structure inside and out is so amazing! The ship or the Sky Park on top of the 3 towers offers guest a panoramic view of the entire Singapore landscape! Too bad I did find the “stairs” (hahaha) going to the top so I just settled my eyes on the view from below.
I felt a degree of accomplishment having set foot on the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This project was developed by the Las Vegas Sands and it is considered today as the most expensive stand alone casino and 5 Star Hotel. The trip is all worth it and for the heck of it, I didn’t mind the scorching sun on my way back to the Peninsula. Finding Marina is an experience of a lifetime.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Economics of FOREX
One thing that can ruin the best business and pleasure trip in a foreign land is the issue on FOREX or foreign exchange (rates) especially if you are coming from the Philippines and will be staying at a Dollar value country like Singapore. Imagine having used to spend 26 Pesos for a bottle of SanMig Lights Beer versus a bottle of beer for 10 Dollars each (or 330 Pesos). Here’s more, 39 Peso for a pack of Marlboro Gold or Blue back home vis-à-vis a pack of it worth 11.5 Dollar or 379.5 Pesos! The distortion is enormous but I got to live with it! Philippine Peso just doesn’t value that much in this side of the globe. But these rates didn’t hamper us smoke addicts and beer devotees from tasting the magnificence of smoke and bottles of beers in the fine city of Singapore.
There are expenses though that will leave you thinking twice before shelling out your last Dollar. A trip to Sentosa Island and the Universal Studios all by myself (myself referring to me alone who’s not really a fan of Theme Parks and the likes) isn’t really worth it without me tagging along the kids. I will mind the cost for myself but I won’t dare to care and spend more than the usual if my Theme Park Generation kids (Angel, Xavier and Motet) are with me. I chose not to visit Sentosa and Universal, good for me for I won’t have to tell stories of how beautiful these places are for kids and ending up with them envying me.
The cost of living in Singapore is just too high for ordinary Filipinos working in the Philippines. Working in Singapore and earning Dollars can tell a different side of the story. Whatever which side it is, some prices are just shocking. A 20-minute taxi ride can cost as high as 16 Dollars or 528 Pesos but mind you, taxi units in here are hi-end. There are Mercedes Benz cars here that are converted into taxi cabs! A subway train travel can cost a minimum of 1 Dollar but if you have to compare the travel distance with our own LRT lines, the fare is still expensive. Cost of houses and condominiums in Singapore have varied costs depending on their distance to the city. The closer your condo unit is in the city, the higher it will cost you.
These costs are very well justified the way government is being run in Singapore. And if you have the opportunity and the right job offer (salary included) in Singapore, it is really worth seriously considering. This is a city where everything is almost perfect from simple citizen discipline to communal cleanliness. You will seldom see jaywalkers in the busy streets, and if you ever caught one, I dare, she or he must be a Filipino. You don’t always see police officers at each corner but you will feel the rule of law in effect even at less visibility.
Back at the airport while waiting for our flight back home, I was wondering how the Singaporean government managed to instill the kind of discipline they have for their citizens and their law enforcement units. What have they done that we are finding hard to do? What do they have that we don’t? I found the answer back home. While waiting for a taxi at the airport, I didn’t wait for the traffic light to turn red and went on the walk towards the other side of the street. You want to have a Singapore-like country? Yes we can have one. The answer is us, the answer is within us.
There are expenses though that will leave you thinking twice before shelling out your last Dollar. A trip to Sentosa Island and the Universal Studios all by myself (myself referring to me alone who’s not really a fan of Theme Parks and the likes) isn’t really worth it without me tagging along the kids. I will mind the cost for myself but I won’t dare to care and spend more than the usual if my Theme Park Generation kids (Angel, Xavier and Motet) are with me. I chose not to visit Sentosa and Universal, good for me for I won’t have to tell stories of how beautiful these places are for kids and ending up with them envying me.
The cost of living in Singapore is just too high for ordinary Filipinos working in the Philippines. Working in Singapore and earning Dollars can tell a different side of the story. Whatever which side it is, some prices are just shocking. A 20-minute taxi ride can cost as high as 16 Dollars or 528 Pesos but mind you, taxi units in here are hi-end. There are Mercedes Benz cars here that are converted into taxi cabs! A subway train travel can cost a minimum of 1 Dollar but if you have to compare the travel distance with our own LRT lines, the fare is still expensive. Cost of houses and condominiums in Singapore have varied costs depending on their distance to the city. The closer your condo unit is in the city, the higher it will cost you.
These costs are very well justified the way government is being run in Singapore. And if you have the opportunity and the right job offer (salary included) in Singapore, it is really worth seriously considering. This is a city where everything is almost perfect from simple citizen discipline to communal cleanliness. You will seldom see jaywalkers in the busy streets, and if you ever caught one, I dare, she or he must be a Filipino. You don’t always see police officers at each corner but you will feel the rule of law in effect even at less visibility.
Back at the airport while waiting for our flight back home, I was wondering how the Singaporean government managed to instill the kind of discipline they have for their citizens and their law enforcement units. What have they done that we are finding hard to do? What do they have that we don’t? I found the answer back home. While waiting for a taxi at the airport, I didn’t wait for the traffic light to turn red and went on the walk towards the other side of the street. You want to have a Singapore-like country? Yes we can have one. The answer is us, the answer is within us.
Monday, July 19, 2010
I Think Therefore I Eat
I gained 10+ pounds after my 3-day stay in Singapore. The months of selective diets and mini-exercises have been erased in a matter of hours. Who can say no to the eye-catching, delicious-smelling and abundant-servings of foreign cuisines right before your eyes? It was never part of the plan to eat this much, but this thing of beauty is too good to pass, so I’ll take it anyway!
My first taste of Singaporean food came from 99 Food Stall right at the side of Hotel Peninsula Excelsior where our group is staying. According to our Indian Tour Guide, Singapore’s Chicken Rice is a meal to die for, and one has to check this out to have a feel of what Singapore cuisine can offer. There are about five food outlets in at 99 offering different cuisines from Korean to local Singaporean dishes. From the posted pictures of dishes with Mandarin text and English Sub-titles, I searched the posters one-by-one looking for something that says “Chicken Rice”. After awhile, I saw one at the corner of the first stall from the second entrance. It’s past 12 noon already so there were other people in line waiting for their queue to get their Chicken Rice serving. When my turn came in, I told the guy at the opposite end of the counter that I wanted a Chicken Rice and he replied 3 Dollars.
Second serving of delicious smorgasbord Singaporean Cuisine came dinner time at the Grand Park City Hall Hotel. There were about 6 dishes served highlighted by a Steamed Salmon with a special Sauce, Sea Food Kebab and other dishes I didn’t bother to know the name but I’m sure they were all delicious. I had a plate full of those menus (no exemptions) and a bowl of soup as I went back to the convention room. I think something’s wrong with my taste buds in Singapore, nothing seemed to taste bad back there.
The third serving came from another eat-all-you-can breakfast at the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel! Enjoying our first night (or should I say morning since we came back at the Hotel around 2:30am already) sleep, me and my room mate were awaken by a call from a friend at the other room inviting us to go check the breakfast being served at the Hotel Lobby. Sensing another buddle fight, we hurriedly fixed ourselves and proceeded to the level where bountiful breakfast awaits our half-hungry appetites. The chicken sausage and their brewed coffee is one of the best!
Fourth, fifth and almost eternity of Singaporean foods came one after the other. I had to try everything that came my way. I have totally forgotten all of my dietary regiments, after all, tomorrow can be another day to start thinking about diets, not now. I also had the luxury of time to try the Korean Shabu-Shabu like food at 99. Priced at 4.50 Singapore Dollars, I had my sweat coming in all forms with their spicy sauce!
I was also tempted to taste Mc Donald’s but I passed on the last minute. In my mind, there are also lots of Mc Donald’s outlets in the Philippines. I’d rather spend my extra food dollar in something the Philippines cannot offer. Starbucks Coffee is also tempting but the price equivalent is just outrageous. Venti-sized cost 7 Singapore Dollars or 230 Pesos. Venti at any Philippines Starbucks is just about 175 Pesos!
I gained too much pound back in Singapore. The real challenge of getting back in “shape” again starts now. Everything has its corresponding price; good thing slimming down is never an issue in the resources-deprived country of ours.
My first taste of Singaporean food came from 99 Food Stall right at the side of Hotel Peninsula Excelsior where our group is staying. According to our Indian Tour Guide, Singapore’s Chicken Rice is a meal to die for, and one has to check this out to have a feel of what Singapore cuisine can offer. There are about five food outlets in at 99 offering different cuisines from Korean to local Singaporean dishes. From the posted pictures of dishes with Mandarin text and English Sub-titles, I searched the posters one-by-one looking for something that says “Chicken Rice”. After awhile, I saw one at the corner of the first stall from the second entrance. It’s past 12 noon already so there were other people in line waiting for their queue to get their Chicken Rice serving. When my turn came in, I told the guy at the opposite end of the counter that I wanted a Chicken Rice and he replied 3 Dollars.
Second serving of delicious smorgasbord Singaporean Cuisine came dinner time at the Grand Park City Hall Hotel. There were about 6 dishes served highlighted by a Steamed Salmon with a special Sauce, Sea Food Kebab and other dishes I didn’t bother to know the name but I’m sure they were all delicious. I had a plate full of those menus (no exemptions) and a bowl of soup as I went back to the convention room. I think something’s wrong with my taste buds in Singapore, nothing seemed to taste bad back there.
The third serving came from another eat-all-you-can breakfast at the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel! Enjoying our first night (or should I say morning since we came back at the Hotel around 2:30am already) sleep, me and my room mate were awaken by a call from a friend at the other room inviting us to go check the breakfast being served at the Hotel Lobby. Sensing another buddle fight, we hurriedly fixed ourselves and proceeded to the level where bountiful breakfast awaits our half-hungry appetites. The chicken sausage and their brewed coffee is one of the best!
Fourth, fifth and almost eternity of Singaporean foods came one after the other. I had to try everything that came my way. I have totally forgotten all of my dietary regiments, after all, tomorrow can be another day to start thinking about diets, not now. I also had the luxury of time to try the Korean Shabu-Shabu like food at 99. Priced at 4.50 Singapore Dollars, I had my sweat coming in all forms with their spicy sauce!
I was also tempted to taste Mc Donald’s but I passed on the last minute. In my mind, there are also lots of Mc Donald’s outlets in the Philippines. I’d rather spend my extra food dollar in something the Philippines cannot offer. Starbucks Coffee is also tempting but the price equivalent is just outrageous. Venti-sized cost 7 Singapore Dollars or 230 Pesos. Venti at any Philippines Starbucks is just about 175 Pesos!
I gained too much pound back in Singapore. The real challenge of getting back in “shape” again starts now. Everything has its corresponding price; good thing slimming down is never an issue in the resources-deprived country of ours.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
23rd Leaders Convention
Every year, STI Education Services Group leaders from all over the country converge for the Annual Leaders Convention. This event is one of the most anticipated events of the year for three reasons; one, this is being done in amazing places domestic and international, two, this is being highlighted by presentations from the country’s industry experts and three, this is the time where various school and individual awards are given to deserving schools and school leaders who have gone beyond their ways to set forth milestones in their respective areas in relation to the overall goals of the organization.
This year, the 23rd Leaders Convention will be held at the Grand Park City Hall in Singapore. School Leaders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will converge at Singapore for another momentous occasion. Majority of the School Leaders took the Cebu Pacific flight early Wednesday morning braving the threat of the typhoon Basyang and flew to Singapore. I was on that flight too, probably the first international flight of the day as most of the airline companies cancelled their flights earlier in the day.
We arrive at the Changi Airport minutes past eleven. We had to go through the standard immigration process before we were allowed to “enter” Singapore. The picture I took and have posted below needs to pass the rigid security review and prohibitions of the airport officials. I was the last person on the line, after my passport has been checked and validated by the Singapore Immigration, I proceeded to the baggage rotating conveyor to get my untagged baggage and catch up with the “yellow team” to wait for our bus that would take us to Hotel Peninsula Exelsior, our official residence in Singapore.
The Indian Tour guide set the tone of our arrival on a lighter note as he gave an introduction of Singapore and our itinerary for the day. His comic rendition of tips on how to save and spend money in Singapore made everyone smile if not laugh as we travel the busy highway of Singapore. In his words, the Indian guy said Singapore is a fine city simply because we will get fined if we break any of their rules. He added that in Singapore, if you break the rules they don’t just throw the books, but they throw the entire library at the offender. True enough, Singapore is a country of disciplined people; in here they follow the rules even if no one is watching. I have to write about it in my next blog.
It’s noontime when we got to the hotel, the next thing we did was to look for a place to quench our hunger. Good thing there’s an affordable food court right at the side of the hotel. One can get a very nice meal for $2.50, not bad compared to a Mc Donald’s Value Meal of $7.00++. I took the “chicken rice” for lunch. According to the Indian guy, this is one of Singapore’s “to-die-for” menus and I found out that it indeed is.
After lunch we proceeded to the Grand Park City Hall for the Convention proper. The speaker for this year’s convention was Atty. Ulpiano Sarmiento, an icon in the crafting and interpretation of school policies. His topic zeroed in on the Manual of Regulation for Private Higher Education (MORPHE) which is the backbone of today’s Higher Education Institution policies. Atty. Sarmiento is really one of the few speakers who know how to catch the attention of his audience. His timely injections of humor to his presentation kept the audience at the edge of their seats. Coming from a very lengthy travel, I wondered how I lasted listening to him talk for about 2 hours and a half and never felt the normal sleepiness behavior of an audience to an extensive talk.
After Atty. Sarmiento, consultations on various plans for the organization were discussed on the plenary. A report on the Academic thrust was likewise presented followed by the discussion of our collective key result areas as an organization whose goal is have a sustainable growth while providing quality education to our students. The discussions on various issued lasted until dinner time.
After dinner, the Annual Awarding Ceremonies followed.
This year, the 23rd Leaders Convention will be held at the Grand Park City Hall in Singapore. School Leaders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will converge at Singapore for another momentous occasion. Majority of the School Leaders took the Cebu Pacific flight early Wednesday morning braving the threat of the typhoon Basyang and flew to Singapore. I was on that flight too, probably the first international flight of the day as most of the airline companies cancelled their flights earlier in the day.
We arrive at the Changi Airport minutes past eleven. We had to go through the standard immigration process before we were allowed to “enter” Singapore. The picture I took and have posted below needs to pass the rigid security review and prohibitions of the airport officials. I was the last person on the line, after my passport has been checked and validated by the Singapore Immigration, I proceeded to the baggage rotating conveyor to get my untagged baggage and catch up with the “yellow team” to wait for our bus that would take us to Hotel Peninsula Exelsior, our official residence in Singapore.
The Indian Tour guide set the tone of our arrival on a lighter note as he gave an introduction of Singapore and our itinerary for the day. His comic rendition of tips on how to save and spend money in Singapore made everyone smile if not laugh as we travel the busy highway of Singapore. In his words, the Indian guy said Singapore is a fine city simply because we will get fined if we break any of their rules. He added that in Singapore, if you break the rules they don’t just throw the books, but they throw the entire library at the offender. True enough, Singapore is a country of disciplined people; in here they follow the rules even if no one is watching. I have to write about it in my next blog.
It’s noontime when we got to the hotel, the next thing we did was to look for a place to quench our hunger. Good thing there’s an affordable food court right at the side of the hotel. One can get a very nice meal for $2.50, not bad compared to a Mc Donald’s Value Meal of $7.00++. I took the “chicken rice” for lunch. According to the Indian guy, this is one of Singapore’s “to-die-for” menus and I found out that it indeed is.
After lunch we proceeded to the Grand Park City Hall for the Convention proper. The speaker for this year’s convention was Atty. Ulpiano Sarmiento, an icon in the crafting and interpretation of school policies. His topic zeroed in on the Manual of Regulation for Private Higher Education (MORPHE) which is the backbone of today’s Higher Education Institution policies. Atty. Sarmiento is really one of the few speakers who know how to catch the attention of his audience. His timely injections of humor to his presentation kept the audience at the edge of their seats. Coming from a very lengthy travel, I wondered how I lasted listening to him talk for about 2 hours and a half and never felt the normal sleepiness behavior of an audience to an extensive talk.
After Atty. Sarmiento, consultations on various plans for the organization were discussed on the plenary. A report on the Academic thrust was likewise presented followed by the discussion of our collective key result areas as an organization whose goal is have a sustainable growth while providing quality education to our students. The discussions on various issued lasted until dinner time.
After dinner, the Annual Awarding Ceremonies followed.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Defying Basyang
While I was asleep, the local weather station has raised the typhoon signal number to 2 in Metro Manila an hour before midnight Tuesday, exactly 7 hours before our scheduled departure time to Singapore. Typhoon Basyang’s (international name: Conson)wrath and fury can now be felt from all side of the Metro forcing the bureau to raise the alarm. Last time I checked the news, the typhoon is about to make a landfall in the afternoon of the same day at Aurora, Quezon and Camarines Sur is now under signal number 2.
I left my laptop glued to the website of the airline until I slept around ten; the on-line schedule says the flight is still on. As I woke up 30 minutes past two in the morning, the schedule has been changed from ETD of 6 in the morning to 7am. I’m staying at a hotel near the Manila Bay and from the inside; I can now fell the winds smashing against the glass window of the room. I took a quick shower, grab my things and went down the lobby to look for a cab.
Travelling to the airport, I noticed that a lot of establishments don’t have their lights on. Colorful streetlights the used to brighten the stretch of Roxas Boulevard doesn’t seem to be working today and the streets are sporadically littered with branches of trees that fell as a result of the strong winds. Parts of the streets were also flooded making it impossible for cars to move along. Thanks to gallant stand of the taxi driver, we were able to reach NAIA Terminal 3 just in time.
The new NAIA Terminal 3 doesn’t look beautiful the way it used to be. At closer look, I noticed that the terminal was dark and all of the escalators were not working. Then I got the answer from one of the terminal personnel, the entire Luzon is currently experiencing a blackout due to the typhoon. Then I realized, this must be a strong typhoon, and our trip to Singapore would be cancelled in a matter of minutes and Cebu Pacific might have updated their online flight status from delayed to cancelled.
My suspicion was even more validated by stories of some passengers that Philippine Airlines has cancelled all their flights scheduled for the day. I saw few or my colleagues from the different areas and we were asking each other the same question. “Tuloy ba tayo?” Then I saw Leo Adaptante (one of our CMs) emerging from the Cebu Pacific counter and he told me I can now check my baggage in and boarding will be at 5:55am. That boarding schedule is enough to reassure us all that we are indeed going to Singapore today.
While doing the check-in process, I can see around the corners of the terminal passengers who are still asleep. Their flights must have been cancelled and they choose to spend the night at the terminal rather than go out of the airport and be back again. I know that although our flight is on, we need to wait more hours longer than the usual. CB needs to ensure that they get a clearance from the transportation bureau that it’s now safe to fly down the globe.
The P750.00 terminal fee is not worth it today. We had to endure a waterless comfort room, coffee-less restaurants, and exhaust-less smoking area. The terminal services were fully crippled by the Luzon-wide blackout. We have to endure four agonizing hours at the waiting area with nothing but stories (old and new) and anticipation of how we, boys, will spend the nights (with "s")in Singapore.
We finally boarded the 5J801 Flight to Singapore 10 minutes past 7 in the morning. The skies are now clear with no signs of the typhoon that had just manifested herself early morning of today. We took of 20 minutes after. Travel time to Singapore from the Philippines is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes; the best way to kill boredom on flight is to sleep. I did just that. At past eleven we landed at Changi International. We are finally in the fine city of Singapore!
I left my laptop glued to the website of the airline until I slept around ten; the on-line schedule says the flight is still on. As I woke up 30 minutes past two in the morning, the schedule has been changed from ETD of 6 in the morning to 7am. I’m staying at a hotel near the Manila Bay and from the inside; I can now fell the winds smashing against the glass window of the room. I took a quick shower, grab my things and went down the lobby to look for a cab.
Travelling to the airport, I noticed that a lot of establishments don’t have their lights on. Colorful streetlights the used to brighten the stretch of Roxas Boulevard doesn’t seem to be working today and the streets are sporadically littered with branches of trees that fell as a result of the strong winds. Parts of the streets were also flooded making it impossible for cars to move along. Thanks to gallant stand of the taxi driver, we were able to reach NAIA Terminal 3 just in time.
The new NAIA Terminal 3 doesn’t look beautiful the way it used to be. At closer look, I noticed that the terminal was dark and all of the escalators were not working. Then I got the answer from one of the terminal personnel, the entire Luzon is currently experiencing a blackout due to the typhoon. Then I realized, this must be a strong typhoon, and our trip to Singapore would be cancelled in a matter of minutes and Cebu Pacific might have updated their online flight status from delayed to cancelled.
My suspicion was even more validated by stories of some passengers that Philippine Airlines has cancelled all their flights scheduled for the day. I saw few or my colleagues from the different areas and we were asking each other the same question. “Tuloy ba tayo?” Then I saw Leo Adaptante (one of our CMs) emerging from the Cebu Pacific counter and he told me I can now check my baggage in and boarding will be at 5:55am. That boarding schedule is enough to reassure us all that we are indeed going to Singapore today.
While doing the check-in process, I can see around the corners of the terminal passengers who are still asleep. Their flights must have been cancelled and they choose to spend the night at the terminal rather than go out of the airport and be back again. I know that although our flight is on, we need to wait more hours longer than the usual. CB needs to ensure that they get a clearance from the transportation bureau that it’s now safe to fly down the globe.
The P750.00 terminal fee is not worth it today. We had to endure a waterless comfort room, coffee-less restaurants, and exhaust-less smoking area. The terminal services were fully crippled by the Luzon-wide blackout. We have to endure four agonizing hours at the waiting area with nothing but stories (old and new) and anticipation of how we, boys, will spend the nights (with "s")in Singapore.
We finally boarded the 5J801 Flight to Singapore 10 minutes past 7 in the morning. The skies are now clear with no signs of the typhoon that had just manifested herself early morning of today. We took of 20 minutes after. Travel time to Singapore from the Philippines is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes; the best way to kill boredom on flight is to sleep. I did just that. At past eleven we landed at Changi International. We are finally in the fine city of Singapore!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Who moved my cheese?
One of the most overused cliché in life and in business is that of change. It is constant and it happens even in the most stable state of economy, weather, relationship and existence. We knew change can and will happen but we just simply don’t know how to react much less anticipate the imminent change. Dr. Spencer Johnson's book "Who moved my cheese?" looks beyond the idea of change and identified the resistance that normally comes with it.
Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life – whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, or spiritual peace of mind. Cheese are the things we think that will make us happy, and when circumstances take it away, we deal with change in different ways. Four characters in this delightful parable represent parts of ourselves whenever we are confronted with change.
Everyday Hem, Haw, Sniff, and Scurry went about their business collecting and eating cheese. Every morning, the mice and little men put on their jogging suits and running shoes, left their homes, and raced around the maze looking for their favorite Cheese.
They each found their own kind of cheese one day at the end of one of the corridors in Cheese Station C. Every morning the mice and men headed over to Cheese Station C and soon they established their own routines. Sniff and Scurry woke up early everyday, always following the same route. The mice would arrive at the station, tie their running shoes together, and hang them around their necks so they could get to them quickly whenever they needed to.
Hem and Haw followed the same routine for a while, but later on, they awoke a little later each day, dressed slower, and walked to Station C, always assuming there would be Cheese waiting for them. In fact, the little people put away their running shoes, and grew very comfortable in Station C. Later, this overconfidence turned into arrogance.
The mice, on the other hand, always inspected the area, and noticed the Cheese supply was getting smaller every day. One morning they discovered there was no more cheese. The mice did not overanalyze things, they knew it was coming, so they simply untied their running shoes from their necks and put them on. The mice wasted no time and immediately ventured into the maze in search of New Cheese.
Hem and Haw arrived later, and having taken their Cheese for granted, they were surprised to find there was no more cheese. Hem yelled, “Who moved my Cheese?” Because the Cheese was so important to them, the two little people spent too much time deciding what to do. They couldn’t believe the Cheese was gone. After much whining, Haw suggested,
MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST STOP ANALYZING THE SITUATION SO MUCH AND JUST GET GOING AND FIND SOME NEW CHEESE.
While Hem and Haw were wasting time fretting over their situation, Sniff and Scurry had already found a great supply of New Cheese at Cheese Station N. Haw began to imagine himself tasting and enjoying New Cheese. Hem refused to leave Cheese Station C. Haw also began to realize his fear was keeping him from leaving Hem and going back into the maze. He painted a picture in his mind of himself venturing out into the maze and eventually finding New Cheese.
Haw was in the habit of writing thoughts on the wall for Hem to read. Before leaving he wrote, “If you do not change, you become extinct.” Haw would write thoughts like these every now and then as he went about the maze, hoping Hem would venture out of Station C and read the handwriting on the wall. Haw found a little cheese here and there. As he moved through the maze, he learned several things for himself:
He needed to let go of his fears.
He realized what lies out there could be a lot better, not worse.
He should be alert in order to anticipate change, and next time, periodically smell the cheese to check if it is getting old. And to learn these important lessons he had to tell himself:
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
He found a cheese station but it was empty. He realized that if he had moved sooner, he would have very likely found a good deal of New Cheese here. So he wrote on the wall:
THE QUICKER YOU LET GO OF OLD CHEESE, THE SOONER YOU FIND NEW CHEESE.
Haw went back to the cheeseless station to offer Hem some bits of Cheese he had picked up along the way. Hem turned it down because he wanted the cheese he was used to. Haw went back into the maze. Haw soon came to realize:
The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.
WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF IS NEVER AS BAD AS WHAT YOU IMAGINE.
When you change what you believe, you change what you do.
Haw soon found New Cheese at Station N, and met up with his old friends Sniff and Scurry who looked like they had been there for quite some time because they had grown fat. Haw reflected as he enjoyed his New Cheese. He realized many more things:
He had been holding onto the illusion of Old Cheese that was no longer there.
He had started to change as soon as he learned to laugh at his own mistakes, then he was able to let go and move on.
Sniff and Scurry kept life simple. They didn’t overanalyze or overcomplicate things. They simply moved with the Cheese.
The mistakes he made in the past can be used to plan for the future.
Notice the little changes so you are better prepared for the big change that might be coming.
The biggest inhibitor of change lies within your self. Nothing gets better until You change.
THERE IS ALWAYS NEW CHEESE OUT THERE.
While Haw still had a supply of cheese, he often went out and explored new areas in order to stay in touch with what was happening around him. He knew it was safer to be aware of his real choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone.
The four characters live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. The maze is where you spend time looking for what you want. It may be the organization you work in, the relationships you have in your life, or the community you live in.
Two of the characters named Sniff and Scurry are mice. They represent parts of us that are simple and instinctive. Hem and Haw are the little people, representing those complex parts of us as human beings. Sometimes we are like Sniff, who anticipates change early by sniffing it out, or Scurry, who quickly scurries into action and adapts. Maybe we are more like Hem, who denies change and resists it out of fear, or Haw, who learns to adapt in time when he sees something better. Whatever part of us we choose, we all share the common need to find our way in the maze of life and succeed in changing times.
Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life – whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, or spiritual peace of mind. Cheese are the things we think that will make us happy, and when circumstances take it away, we deal with change in different ways. Four characters in this delightful parable represent parts of ourselves whenever we are confronted with change.
Everyday Hem, Haw, Sniff, and Scurry went about their business collecting and eating cheese. Every morning, the mice and little men put on their jogging suits and running shoes, left their homes, and raced around the maze looking for their favorite Cheese.
They each found their own kind of cheese one day at the end of one of the corridors in Cheese Station C. Every morning the mice and men headed over to Cheese Station C and soon they established their own routines. Sniff and Scurry woke up early everyday, always following the same route. The mice would arrive at the station, tie their running shoes together, and hang them around their necks so they could get to them quickly whenever they needed to.
Hem and Haw followed the same routine for a while, but later on, they awoke a little later each day, dressed slower, and walked to Station C, always assuming there would be Cheese waiting for them. In fact, the little people put away their running shoes, and grew very comfortable in Station C. Later, this overconfidence turned into arrogance.
The mice, on the other hand, always inspected the area, and noticed the Cheese supply was getting smaller every day. One morning they discovered there was no more cheese. The mice did not overanalyze things, they knew it was coming, so they simply untied their running shoes from their necks and put them on. The mice wasted no time and immediately ventured into the maze in search of New Cheese.
Hem and Haw arrived later, and having taken their Cheese for granted, they were surprised to find there was no more cheese. Hem yelled, “Who moved my Cheese?” Because the Cheese was so important to them, the two little people spent too much time deciding what to do. They couldn’t believe the Cheese was gone. After much whining, Haw suggested,
MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST STOP ANALYZING THE SITUATION SO MUCH AND JUST GET GOING AND FIND SOME NEW CHEESE.
While Hem and Haw were wasting time fretting over their situation, Sniff and Scurry had already found a great supply of New Cheese at Cheese Station N. Haw began to imagine himself tasting and enjoying New Cheese. Hem refused to leave Cheese Station C. Haw also began to realize his fear was keeping him from leaving Hem and going back into the maze. He painted a picture in his mind of himself venturing out into the maze and eventually finding New Cheese.
Haw was in the habit of writing thoughts on the wall for Hem to read. Before leaving he wrote, “If you do not change, you become extinct.” Haw would write thoughts like these every now and then as he went about the maze, hoping Hem would venture out of Station C and read the handwriting on the wall. Haw found a little cheese here and there. As he moved through the maze, he learned several things for himself:
He needed to let go of his fears.
He realized what lies out there could be a lot better, not worse.
He should be alert in order to anticipate change, and next time, periodically smell the cheese to check if it is getting old. And to learn these important lessons he had to tell himself:
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
He found a cheese station but it was empty. He realized that if he had moved sooner, he would have very likely found a good deal of New Cheese here. So he wrote on the wall:
THE QUICKER YOU LET GO OF OLD CHEESE, THE SOONER YOU FIND NEW CHEESE.
Haw went back to the cheeseless station to offer Hem some bits of Cheese he had picked up along the way. Hem turned it down because he wanted the cheese he was used to. Haw went back into the maze. Haw soon came to realize:
The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.
WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF IS NEVER AS BAD AS WHAT YOU IMAGINE.
When you change what you believe, you change what you do.
Haw soon found New Cheese at Station N, and met up with his old friends Sniff and Scurry who looked like they had been there for quite some time because they had grown fat. Haw reflected as he enjoyed his New Cheese. He realized many more things:
He had been holding onto the illusion of Old Cheese that was no longer there.
He had started to change as soon as he learned to laugh at his own mistakes, then he was able to let go and move on.
Sniff and Scurry kept life simple. They didn’t overanalyze or overcomplicate things. They simply moved with the Cheese.
The mistakes he made in the past can be used to plan for the future.
Notice the little changes so you are better prepared for the big change that might be coming.
The biggest inhibitor of change lies within your self. Nothing gets better until You change.
THERE IS ALWAYS NEW CHEESE OUT THERE.
While Haw still had a supply of cheese, he often went out and explored new areas in order to stay in touch with what was happening around him. He knew it was safer to be aware of his real choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone.
The four characters live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. The maze is where you spend time looking for what you want. It may be the organization you work in, the relationships you have in your life, or the community you live in.
Two of the characters named Sniff and Scurry are mice. They represent parts of us that are simple and instinctive. Hem and Haw are the little people, representing those complex parts of us as human beings. Sometimes we are like Sniff, who anticipates change early by sniffing it out, or Scurry, who quickly scurries into action and adapts. Maybe we are more like Hem, who denies change and resists it out of fear, or Haw, who learns to adapt in time when he sees something better. Whatever part of us we choose, we all share the common need to find our way in the maze of life and succeed in changing times.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Taken from A Return To Love, a book by motivational speaker and author Marianne Williamson.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Taken from A Return To Love, a book by motivational speaker and author Marianne Williamson.
Surprise
A late afternoon meeting brought me at the far eastern part of CamSur, a part closer to home and the kids. My cellphone (I have no wristwatch ever since) says its 4:08pm already, I had to hurry and catch Maria Theressa (Motet) and the rest of the kids in school before their class is over. Just like other parents, I wanted to be at the school grounds when the bell rings and the kids rush out of their respective rooms, (as if being in prison for decades) to play while waiting for their “sundo” before they finally go home.
There were about twenty parents lined-up already at the waiting area when I entered the gate of the school. There was no sign of a single section being dismissed much to my relief. I wanted to be there before the kids are out. I wanted to see them as they hurriedly force themselves out of the room and wonder what these kids do when no one in the family is watching them. I positioned myself in the area where I can see all five rooms at the ground floor of the elementary building. I did that on purpose, I simply didn't know which room is Motet's and Xavier's. I didn't know how to distinguish the Kinder 2 room from the Grade 3.
There was not bell to signal the end of the afternoon class. I didn’t hear a sound as I saw Xavier came out almost last from his room while the rest of his classmates run towards the open field. I didn’t bother to ask him why for I had forgotten the question as I saw him running towards me with a wide smile. He didn’t expect to see me there waiting for him! After exchanging few words, he left his backpack at my side and proceeded to join his classmates play ball as I continue to wait for his sisters to be out.
In a few moments I saw other parents rushing towards the far right room, just like a scene from the arrival area of an international airport, parents’ enthusiasm to see their kids again is like seeing the face of a friend again after a decade of absence. I said to myself that must be the classroom for the Kindergarten. I was right when I saw Motet emerging from the crowd with her pink bag and a half empty C2 Ice Tea in one hand. She stopped at the door of his brothers’ classroom to check if he is still there. Seeing no trace of his brother, she then proceeded to the parents waiting area where she caught me watching her every move as she run smiling towards my direction. Just like his brother, she didn’t expect to see me there waiting, and to add more drama to the occasion, today is the FIRST DAY that I saw Moter in her school uniform and the FIRST TIME that I was there to fetch her home.
She animatedly showed me the “STARS” in both of her hands which are now beginning to fade. She said her teacher gave them to her for having gotten the right answers in their exercises. She didn’t want me to carry her in my arms as I bend over the way I used to do when I came home late every night. Her smile made me understand that she doesn't want her other classmates, who are at her side, see me doing the little baby habits for her. Her smile is short to saying, “Tatay, not now po, I’m a big girl in school but I will always be your little baby at home.” I understand.
The baby is now a little lady, but the baby in her persists as she, together with her friends run back and forth the ground. In between breaks she would run to me and tell me stories on how she went to the second floor to see her Ate sometime back and had to hide from the School Guard to avoid getting caught. There’s a school policy that all Kindergarten pupils are not allowed to be at the second floor for security reasons. Smart and determined as she is, Motet managed to reach the forbidden ground to check on her Ate, now on her 4th Grade.
Motet was so beautiful in her school uniform. She wanted to wear that uniform ever since she started schooling at the San Juanico Pre-School. She wanted to be with and like her Ate Angel, but she didn’t complain. She learned to love and be proud of San Juanico as her school. But then I have to give in, she would love it more and be more proud of St. Paul. Her sister and brother are there and she knew for a fact that her father is a graduate of the same school.
Last to come down was Angel. Looking at her from a distance, I suddenly realized that my eldest baby is now becoming a full grown lady. She was not the same daughter I used to sporadically accompany to school. Her skirts are now long and her blouse is now cut the way ladies cut their dresses. Except for the hair which was "home-serviced" by her mother, Angel was likewise beautiful. Again, today was the FIRST TIME in the year that I saw these kids in their school uniforms.
Today, I planned to give the kids a little surprise, but it was I who got the BIGGEST SURPRISE of my life just by watching them from a distance. These beautiful kids who have always been my ultimate source of JOY, PRIDE and INSPIRATION have almost been dragged into a condition they never really deserve. They almost lost their father (and eventually our family) to a LIE and UNFORGIVING PAST. We have been through the most trying times together and managed to get through all by simply trusting each other and knowing that when we wake up tomorrow it’s going to be a lovely day.
Tonight I picked the last few fragments of my complicated self. Tomorrow I am ready for a much bigger surprise.
There were about twenty parents lined-up already at the waiting area when I entered the gate of the school. There was no sign of a single section being dismissed much to my relief. I wanted to be there before the kids are out. I wanted to see them as they hurriedly force themselves out of the room and wonder what these kids do when no one in the family is watching them. I positioned myself in the area where I can see all five rooms at the ground floor of the elementary building. I did that on purpose, I simply didn't know which room is Motet's and Xavier's. I didn't know how to distinguish the Kinder 2 room from the Grade 3.
There was not bell to signal the end of the afternoon class. I didn’t hear a sound as I saw Xavier came out almost last from his room while the rest of his classmates run towards the open field. I didn’t bother to ask him why for I had forgotten the question as I saw him running towards me with a wide smile. He didn’t expect to see me there waiting for him! After exchanging few words, he left his backpack at my side and proceeded to join his classmates play ball as I continue to wait for his sisters to be out.
In a few moments I saw other parents rushing towards the far right room, just like a scene from the arrival area of an international airport, parents’ enthusiasm to see their kids again is like seeing the face of a friend again after a decade of absence. I said to myself that must be the classroom for the Kindergarten. I was right when I saw Motet emerging from the crowd with her pink bag and a half empty C2 Ice Tea in one hand. She stopped at the door of his brothers’ classroom to check if he is still there. Seeing no trace of his brother, she then proceeded to the parents waiting area where she caught me watching her every move as she run smiling towards my direction. Just like his brother, she didn’t expect to see me there waiting, and to add more drama to the occasion, today is the FIRST DAY that I saw Moter in her school uniform and the FIRST TIME that I was there to fetch her home.
She animatedly showed me the “STARS” in both of her hands which are now beginning to fade. She said her teacher gave them to her for having gotten the right answers in their exercises. She didn’t want me to carry her in my arms as I bend over the way I used to do when I came home late every night. Her smile made me understand that she doesn't want her other classmates, who are at her side, see me doing the little baby habits for her. Her smile is short to saying, “Tatay, not now po, I’m a big girl in school but I will always be your little baby at home.” I understand.
The baby is now a little lady, but the baby in her persists as she, together with her friends run back and forth the ground. In between breaks she would run to me and tell me stories on how she went to the second floor to see her Ate sometime back and had to hide from the School Guard to avoid getting caught. There’s a school policy that all Kindergarten pupils are not allowed to be at the second floor for security reasons. Smart and determined as she is, Motet managed to reach the forbidden ground to check on her Ate, now on her 4th Grade.
Motet was so beautiful in her school uniform. She wanted to wear that uniform ever since she started schooling at the San Juanico Pre-School. She wanted to be with and like her Ate Angel, but she didn’t complain. She learned to love and be proud of San Juanico as her school. But then I have to give in, she would love it more and be more proud of St. Paul. Her sister and brother are there and she knew for a fact that her father is a graduate of the same school.
Last to come down was Angel. Looking at her from a distance, I suddenly realized that my eldest baby is now becoming a full grown lady. She was not the same daughter I used to sporadically accompany to school. Her skirts are now long and her blouse is now cut the way ladies cut their dresses. Except for the hair which was "home-serviced" by her mother, Angel was likewise beautiful. Again, today was the FIRST TIME in the year that I saw these kids in their school uniforms.
Today, I planned to give the kids a little surprise, but it was I who got the BIGGEST SURPRISE of my life just by watching them from a distance. These beautiful kids who have always been my ultimate source of JOY, PRIDE and INSPIRATION have almost been dragged into a condition they never really deserve. They almost lost their father (and eventually our family) to a LIE and UNFORGIVING PAST. We have been through the most trying times together and managed to get through all by simply trusting each other and knowing that when we wake up tomorrow it’s going to be a lovely day.
Tonight I picked the last few fragments of my complicated self. Tomorrow I am ready for a much bigger surprise.
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