Prayer Time

At 6:00 pm today, I happened to be at the grocery buying some stuff for my trip next week. The public address told us that transactions will be momentarily halted for the angelus. When the prayers began, I stopped and looked around. Some of the other customers also stayed where they were. Some kept moving but a few slowed down to keep their cart from making too much noise.

This reminded me of my parents' hometown during the summer. My mom and dad hied us off to Manaoag for about a month during summer. That was how we became chummy with our cousins. Sometimes we would go on out of town trips to the beach or Baguio.

There were times when we would get back at dusk. If we happened to pass the poblaccion at 6 pm, we would hear the church bells tolling. Traffic would stop at that moment while the ringing continued. That meant angelus was being prayed inside the church and you were supposed to join in. Traffic would restart as soon as the bells stopped.

Nowadays, it doesn't happen that way. It isn't only that you hardly hear the bells because they still sound off at 6pm. It's just that people don't seem to remember why the bells go off at that time. Few of them stop. Horns are even honking as the town is supposed to be quietly in prayer.

What happened to solemnity?

Strange Reality

An interesting happened to me today.

A common opener but you know truth is really stranger than fiction sometimes. We can dismiss some anecdotes as trivial. Then again, we can look at the mystery underneath each experience.

I was wearing flipflops today when I went to Trinoma. As I got into the main entrance, one endo of the strap suddenly popped off the body of the slipper. To me that was strange because I didn't even feel the strap pulling loose and suddenly it was broken. And the ATM at school was out of commission so I hardly had any money left in my pocket.

The guards helped me out. They had me sit in the Concierge area while one of them looked for tape and fixed up my flipflop so I could walk with it. I was hoping the tape would last long enough for me to walk around the mall and find a new pair. The best place to do that was at the other end of the building.

Well, when the guard was done, I got up and proceeded to Landmark. It was a slow walk because I was so concious of thetape. I wasn't feeling it under my foot but I knew it was there and that any moment it could give out.

At Landmark, it didn't take me long to find a pair I liked that was within my budget. It was a flat sandal with a garterized back sling in copper. I would have preferred black but that color was out of my size.

However, the gilrin charge of the area I found it in was nowhere in sight. I had to goto the next area and ask the guy there for assistance. He was the one who found the girl who was supposed to assist me and made here get a pair in my size.

Then I had to wait. When the pair arrived, the girl and I played a short waiting game. She was waiting for me to approach her while I was sitting on the couch where you normally sat to fit shoes. Of course she lost.

Finally, I paid for the sandals. At least there was no line at the check-out counter. I asked the bagger not to staple the paper bag shut because I saw that my handbag would fit nicely above the shoebox.

Just when I was leaving the cashier area, the tape gave.

PS to the Landmark staff. This sale belongs to the guy in charge of Figlia and not to the girl in charge of Alexandria which was the brand I got. That guy did more to assist me than the person in charge of Alexandria. Pa-cute lang yung girl na yon. After she made out a receipt, she just handed me the box and expected me to know what to do next.

Trainor's Training

I would have blogged this sooner but we had an insect attack two nights running. Anyway . . .

Last Friday and Saturday, I attended a workshop seminar entitled Conducting Investigatory Projects organized and conducted by the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines. Naturally, the projects were oriented to biology.

There were a series of topics on how to handle different types of subjects like plants, rats, brid eggs, etc. After each lecture, we were given the chance to try it out ourselves. It was a bit intimidating because I have been out of the lab for so long. My exposure since I left ITDI was lamost entirely on the business side. I had other people (mainly my students at the National Computer Center or programmers in the offices that I worked in) do most of the technical stuff.

Frankly, I had fun. I got bitten by a mouse I was trying to subdue. I got to use a pipetor with several tips at once. One of the lecturers gave us washable gloves that we could take home (it had a nice feel by the way). We toured several of the labs under the UP Institute of Biology (during which I bumped into two of our students who happen to be doing summer internship there). I even won a couple of books on biotechnology and biology researches.

Teachers do need to be updated with subject and technique.

Juggling Act

Trying to do several things at the same time can be fun and challenging but at the same time, it could also be quite tiring.

I participated in a bazaar yesterday. I took with me products from Human Nature and some items published by Shepherd's Voice. I had my cousin's wife come over and help me. We went to the venue early so we can set up our display table before most people arrived.

Then, at a little past noon, I had to leave her there alone. You see, my superiors at Philippine Science High School found this wonderful teacher training program and they suggested I attend. Actually, we had discussed this as early as March but neither the training schedule nor the plans for the bazaar had been finalized then.

Well, there was a conflict in schedule. It was a good thing Susan, my cousin's wife was available and willing. So I left for the training right after12 noon. The training was supposed to be completed by 5 pm. What happened was we extended the time. I left the venue at half past five. Traffic woes caught up with me. The bazaar closed at six but it was closer to seven when I got back. Poor Susan was almost the only one left.

The other person waiting was a partner of mine i a website project. That will probably start right when I have to go back to school.

"Misery loves company" must be wrong. Opportunity tends to come in pairs and groups.

Doing Business

I went to my family's hometown yesterday. I had this idea that I was going to sell a few Human Nature products. Well, yes and no.

On the way there, I realized I had made some not very good business decision. I did not take with me key products that are useful for traveling.

Behind me sat a small family with a child about five years old, a tweener and two teens. It occurred to me that maybe they would have been interested in a bug spray since they were going to a place that was new to the kids. Well, I didn't bring any of that with me. If I did, I could have turned around and showed it to them and maybe they would have bought it on the spot. With that, I could have handed them a flyer (of which I had a few) and mentioned the other products.

On the way back, I also sat near a small family. I got to talk to the mother and decided to turn her into a dealer for me in Pangasinan.

I hope I got that right.

Traveling Solo

I went on a solo trip for personal reasons. I went to my family's hometown to deliver some money.

You get to notice a lot of things if you are traveling alone. For instance, I noticed some new developments along the way. There were the new loading and unloading bays. Of special note was the one in Carmen in front of the new SM Mall there, the one erected where the buses used to make a stopover before going into any one of the three directions; Baguio, Dagupan or San Nicolas. I noticed too three new sylos in one of the towns in Tarlac. Then there were the progress of the road works compared to when we went home on Holy Week.

An attentive child notices a lot more. The seat behind me was occupied by a family with a little boy of maybe 4 or 5 years. He noticed that the corn was ready for harvest. He was counting the borders and declared that we were already in Pangasinan when what we actually crossed was a municpal not a provincial border. He pointed out houses that were either unusual or had a nice facade.

I had to mention the one positive thing that storm Emong did in Pangasinan. Some folks might not agree that this is positive but I really think this was a benefit. When we went home for Holy Week, we made a quick tour of the lands. The soil was dry and hard. It would be very hard to plant.

This morning, I could hardly mark our land. In a week's time, grass had grown everywhere. The area was green. Definitely, planting would be easy now.

What? Me? Join?

Our business organization paid a courtesy call to a new congressman who is representing the micro-business sector. Til it was time to go, we were not sure if we would be going. The clouds did not seem to be clearing as the rain continued to pour with lightning lashing in the background. On top of that, the member who arranged for the meeting was still on a plane flying back home.

Well, we did go. During the cab ride, we decided to review our notes in case the new lawmaker had any questions. They told me to concentrate on the group's Vision/Mission which I read twice although it was hard reading in a running cab.

The lawmaker did not directly ask for the Vision/Mission so I did not have to recite it. After the meeting, we hied off to a canteen where the others decided to quiz me on what I was supposed to discuss. I admitted I could not recite them word for word.

We join many groups. Usually, we have an idea of what the group is about. Sometimes, we listen to an inspiring recruitment pitch and we are convinced we should be in that group.

I wonder how many of us bother to really find out what the group we are joining really stands for.

A Plea for Mai

Last week I got a sad news. An old friend was taken to the hospital. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. This weekend, I said I was going to visit her. The weather was so erratic that I could not get myself out of the house.

That is such a lame excuse. The truth is I don't want to go to a hospital. I don't want to see people suffering. Although I really believe I can be of comfort to her, I am not strong enough at the moment to go.

That's also a sorry excuse. I haven't done my duty as a friend period. I do pray for her recoverry. People have improved and gone into remission before. Why not her?

Please pray for my friend Mai Sison.

Testing the Waters

Our organization of microentrepreneurs is testing the waters this month.

Yesterday was the first day we held a weekend bazaar. It was dubbed Friday Fiesta because we will be having it all Firdays of May. It's at the Bazaar sa Erod on E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City, fron of St Luke's Hospital.

I brought some organic products from a company called Human Nature. They make these beauty and body care products from organically grown sources here in the Philippines. It's been a while since I had done direct selling but I liked their tagline. It represents a couple of advocacies that I would like to push; proPhlippines and pro-environment.

I do believe in these things. However, I have been fence sitting and back seat driving for some time, too long a time in fact. I've decided some months ago that I was no longer just going to sit around and talk about things that should be. I've always stayed on the safe area, the sidelines where the ball might hit you but it probably won't if the players are good. Well, I think it's time I played ball too.

There are things that we believe in. We want to show others what we believe must be. We are convinced that we are on the right. But believing in change and doing something to make it happen are two different things. Most of us wait for others to pave the way. Maybe it's fear of being rejected by other people. Maybe it's fear of ailure. Maybe we just don't want to do it alone because we need the support of others, we don't want to be the leader but we will sure follow or so we think.

In my case, I have tested the waters and I think it's time to get myself wet. I do have to seriously get into business. I also want to make others believe that Philippine proudcts can be the best. They can also be good for the environment and can help delay the consequences of global warming.

That's my stand. What's yours?

PS: Visit the Human Nature site and then let me know if you are interested in ordering by sending an email to geb.humannature@gmail.com. Thanks.

Rains in May

Unofficially, the rainy season has began over here. The little insects told us that. Usually, they flock inside and hug the indoor lights just before the storms start coming one after the other. Well, they have been around two days this week and within a span of a week, we have had two typhoons already.

I remember as a kid, we used to anticipate the first rain in May. It was supposedly good luck to bathe in that first major shower. It used to come late in the month though.

It's still the first week of May and we already have heavy rains. As I'm typing this, there is a downpour outside.

Actually, all summer long, I have had to bring an umbrella in case it suddenly showers. I've been leaving it behind because of the early morning sunshine only to get trapped into staying somewhere because of the rain.

I wonder if it will be sunny by September.

Blogging Again

I actually created my first blog either in 2001 or 2002. I don't remember when. I don't even remember where it was hosted. I'm positive about one thing. The template I used then is still available here on blogspot. If I ever have the inspiration to remember the blog name I used, I'm pretty sure I can still visit it.

A coworker discovered blogging first. He knew I was also into writing so he shared hsi blog with me. We had a few exchanges then. One of us would write something and the other would comment.

That's still how blogs work but now there are so many conversations going on. It has become a money maker for some people. Back then, we hoped somebody would notice how well we wrote and hire us. Now, that is close to impossible with so many things being said on the blogsphere.

Self-publishing here is wonderful I think.