My blank mind

There are moments when I want to think

But no thought comes into my mind.

I want to speak

But no word resounds my lips.

Now, I gaze upon the horizon and see no view.

Alone, I stand in the middle of nowhere.

No hope.

No direction.

The sound of music is incomprehensible.

I want silence. Pure silence.

Then silence envelopes me…

Suddenly, I hear the wind

Blowing past my countenance.

The autumn leaves are falling. They are falling under my feet.

I have no interest on them. Let them come down on me.

Let them devour me and savor my inner being…

I looked up in the sky and saw no vision of eternal light…

Paquiao: from ‘Hero’ to ‘Nero’

November 14, 2009 marks another milestone on Pacman’s boxing career. Earning his 2nd welterweight title against Cotto cemented his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Manny’s rise to fame is unstoppable. No one can deny that a man from a third world country can deliver awe and inspiration to millions of people all over the world—rich and poor.

Manny’s success can be credited not only from his speed, power punches and tactics but also from those who help him build a professional fighter. I salute Roach, who, despite his state of health,  made Manny who he is today.

Indeed, it is so inspiring to review Manny’s previous fights to certify his current stature. Take note how the commentators describe him on the ring. During his fights with the Golden Boy, Hatton and Cotto, we hear the words “his hands are so fast that no opponent sees his punches coming”, “tsunami”, “pacific typhoon”, “explosive”. His fight with Cotto gained him the term “from hero to Nero”. Manny not only became a hero to the Filipino people but also a “Nero” who dominates the arena.

Now, people look up to him to have an eventual fight with Mayweather. Let us hope for the best to come.

For now, our heads are up high for a new global fame was gained  by our compatriot:

PACMAN

2012

Do you believe that the world will end in 2012?

Getting the facts

2012  is the end of great calendar cycle in Mayan society. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the Mayans — or anyone for that matter — has knowledge for the world’s demise.

The movie

The movie “2012″ was released November 13, 2009 at major theaters in the world.

I had the opportunity to watch it at Silvercity, Metrotown. The theater was jam-packed with young and old patrons.

“2012″ is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells the heroic struggle of the survivors.

The movie started with  scientists from the US  and India who discovered  that the world’s crust is heating up rapidly. The result would be devastating that it would cause the extinction of mankind. To survive the catastrophe, privileged people must be evacuated to China. The common people  felt the wrath brought about by big earthquakes, volcanic eruption and great deluge.

California is seen destroyed by a great earthquake. Skyscrapers fall down and the earth opens its mouth to devour the city. A luxury liner and a nuclear warship are seen overturned by the great deluge. Yellowknife Park is seen with a super volcanic eruption that can be compared with the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima. The islands of Hawaii are engulfed in conflagration. Tsunamis submerged Washington DC, India and Tibet as well as China.

John Cussak, a father tries to save his estranged wife and children from the disaster. He, at first knew of the impending calamity when he went to Yellowknife Park for camping with his two kids. There they were apprehended by the military for entering a restricted zone—a lake where he once thought existed in the park but has now disappeared. He came across a radio announcer in the park who revealed to him the government’s secret plan–a conspiracy of building “spaceships” to save the privileged people. Through the help of his billionaire Russian boss  who owns a cargo plane and knew of the conspiracy, he and his family were able to reach China. Out of fuel, they crash landed in Tibet near the place where all the privileged people sought refuge. Having no ticket, the Chinese military denied them access. They met a Tibetan family who eventually helped them enter a secret passage that goes right into the “spaceship” which turned out to be a big ship(indeed, there were three of them) like the Noah’s ark.

All disaster movies like “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Independence Day”, “Titanic”, and “Poseidon” make up the visual effects of “2012″.

Great one!

Lest We Forget

 

It is of utmost importance that we show our deepest respect and  appreciation to those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom and democracy.Though many people may not fully know, understand or grasp the events that happened in the past, our present generation is the fruit of their sacrifice—giving us the kind of life,  society and environment that we cherish and enjoy today.

And as a way of saying thank you to those who perished and  to those who continue to serve to protect us to make our world a better place, we could do the following ways to remember them. When going out shopping, wear a poppy on your sweater to show your support. Witness the parade, attend the ceremony, have a moment of silence or watch a movie about the two World Wars.

Lest we forget…

 

Pinoy expat

The world is small.

Indeed, it is small that many of us Filipinos from the Far East have no problem going around the world seeking for greener pasture and a new life.

Where there is job to be done or where there is a city or community that exists in the face of the planet, here we go–ready to be exported–for the sake of money, adventure and bright future.

The future is bright for those who end up in the most promising environment. It is bleak for those who struggle to even make both ends meet.

It is a fact that Pinoys have become an exported goods in the world today. Statistics show there are 8 – 11 million Filipinos overseas. That is  11% of the total population of the Philippines.

Each year, more than a million Pinoys leave the country to work abroad as skilled and non-skilled workers. There is a large number of Pinoys in North America and the Middle East. If lucky enough, some Pinoys become permanent residents or citizens of other countries.

While it is true that we have the chance to go places to better our lives , we cannot deny the dismal situation affecting our compatriots who are experiencing abuse in their workplaces. While many of us work and live like a king in the most promising, affluent destinations, many of our compatriots work and live like hell in places where injustice and discrimination abound. Indeed, they did not want to be in those places. It’s just that they don’t have any choice.

Being a Pinoy overseas, I see the world in two sides of a mirror. One side gives a promise. The other side, doom.

I once became an OFW in Hong Kong for more than 6 years. I can vouch that I heard, saw and experience a lot of abuses in that city. Is it because many of our compatriots work as maids or domestic helpers so that the local people and other expatriates see us a low class citizen?

I found out the difference when I had the chance to work, live and become a permanent resident in Canada. Working in Canada is like working at home when I was in the Philippines. I work for 8 hours a day. I can have another job if I like. I can do what the Canadians do. I eat what the Canadians eat. There is no room for discrimination. Those who discriminate are not tolerated. We have a good system that protects every individual rights. We have the choice of becoming what we want to become.

Canada offers a promising future for Pinoy expats. It is a place where no one would regret making it as a home filled with milk and honey…

The Mystical Swine Flu

The moment one gets up with a stuffy nose, sore throat, or body aches, a grim appearance comes in contact with the bathroom mirror.  “Oh, God, have I got the H1N1? Am I going to die?”

People of the world brace for the second coming of the deadly virus. In places where inoculation is done, young and old, weak and strong, line up to get the most sought vaccine. The problem arise in areas where the vaccine is delivered to the  right populace at the wrong time.

At times when the vaccine is not yet available to the public,  we cannot help but to wait and do our very best not to catch the virus by merely following basic hygiene and health practices.

The Public Health Agency of Canada advises everyone to wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer, cough and sneeze into your arm or sleeve, stay home when sick and, finally, get the flu shot. 

However, a lot of  people are not convinced to take the H1N1 flu shot.  I myself is in the limbo having the thought that the vaccine is not yet fully tested. There are two types of H1N1 vaccine that are being delivered. One is with adjuvant. The other one is without. Choosing which one is good for a person depends upon the availability of the vaccine. They say that take any vaccine available with or without adjuvant. This is really a mind-boggling vaccination process full of haste.

I don’t think twice why some people may instead go back to the old-age tradition of warding off the evil virus. Some of the alternative remedies, they say, include putting onions around the house, like a farmer did with the Spanish flu in 1918, to absorb the virus. Some even suggest eating plenty of garlic.

And in this world where opportunism is prevalent, many sell products they thought would eliminate the virus. You’ll find stores flooded with hand sanitizer gels. Online you’ll find the Swine Flu Kits on sale that comes with masks, goggles, wipes and disinfectants.

No matter what people do to drive off the evil virus in our midst, our best defense is to have a healthy lifestyle–eat a well balanced diet,  exercise, take a rest,  sleep well, think positive and go to church regularly…