Tony; the Terminator

Notice the punctuation mark above? It is a semi-colon. The Terminator does not refer to Tony. It refers to Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom we all know as the Terminator. 

In a strange sort of way, I liken my husband to Arnold. Not from the beginning of time, but from the time I took this photo . . . 

. . . then I saw on the Net Arnold’s photo that apes Tony’s. He has been cutting his son’s hair. 

“He” refers to both. Tony cuts son #1’s hair every Saturday, like clockwork. Arnold seems to have been cutting his son Patrick’s hair from boyhood.  

What does that tell me? 

That both are good dads (saving money on haircuts), not necessarily good barbers. 

And that’s where this blog ends on that matter. Because try as I might, I can’t see any other similarity between Tony and Arnold except the above photos—and of course the inspiring grace that comes when I behold heartwarming scenes such as these.  

This likewise ends (or terminates) my 2023 blog entries, showing the

simplicity versus the complexity that the rituals of modern lives have turned into. 

Awful and Wonderful

How can antonyms be in perfect harmony? 

They can. 

I had this “bright” idea of changing my blog look for the year 2024. I am on my 18th year of blogging and there has to be some kind of change. But here’s what happens when change is done for the sake change. 

I bravely went into the inner structure of my blogspot to reconfigure it. But  I must have pushed some wrong buttons; it took me a whole day—back and forth, forth and back to come up with a decent layout. Hit and miss, miss and hit.  

Exhausted, I decided to simply revert to my old design. Alas, I couldn’t find my way back anymore. 

And so, even before the clock could strike 12 on New Year's day,  I have a NEW LOOK! 

OLD LOOK

But the new layout made all my photos and layouts awful: meaning, they floated out of the text or got buried under them, making the posts senseless. Imagine presenting your sldes (painstakingly done on your computer) using another computer. The fonts and layout become unrecognizable as they dance in and out of the frame.    

With the new look, I had to go back to the old posts to redeem them using the new specifications. 

Wonderful happened: Epiphany! I uncovered long-forgotten entries and thoughts that evolved through time. My life (those that were recorded) came flashing back. I could feel anew the grace that enabled me to record faith lost and faith regained in all aspects of my years. 

I won’t be finished working on all 2,000+ entries as I am also editing word-and-image lapses. I am taking it slow and easy, reliving and thanking the Lord once more for each piece. 

Why am I even doing this? Let me put it this way: Physically recomposing every post is awful, but nostalgically reading the content, mostly funny and self-deprecating, makes me feel wonderful. 

To quote my sister Aie, "Do what you love, and love what you do." 

71st Palanca Awards 2023

For the first time in years, I attended the Palanca Awards Night by myself and blogging about it one month too late. (After the pandemic no-nos were lifted, there was a surge of activities that needed attendance and attention.)  

Sons #1 and #3 were busy or found reasons to be busy. Tony could no longer navigate stairs and long walks. 

So on November 27, I donned an old outfit (a bit on the tight side now), dabbed my face with talc, drew a line over my thinning eyebrows, wore my glasses and hearing aids, put on my mask, and off I went, humming a happy hymn. 

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace . . .

This year, I chaired the board of judges for Short Story for Children (English).

 

Deliberations were done online. So I looked forward to meeting my peers with whom I made tough decisions between winners and losers. 

On Palanca Nights, one is never really alone. Journalists swarm in and out, documenting details for tomorrow’s papers. Fellow literature lovers are a-plenty. I only had one tiny concern: who will take photos of moi. I never learned to do selfie and was at the mercy of those doing it with panache. Will they share those mementos with me? 

Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, the keynote speaker, who was awarded the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi (a special citation for those who have contributed immensely to the development of Philippine literature)—and  who calls me BFF, and vice-versa—did! They are above and below. 

They do not tell the whole story from my eyes. But the memories of this unforgettable night are intact in my mind, for as long as my Creator enables me to see them clearly. 

The judging? We had 75 entries, which I reviewed meticulously to be fair to the writers who slaved over them. 

We got to shake the winners’ hands on stage and that, to me, was a most wonderful thing! 

What We Mean by Meme

Meme is relatively a new word that has become a huge part of social media language today. 

It originated from the Greek word mimema, meaning imitated. It was shortened and introduced in 1976 by British evolutionary biologist and book author Richard Dawkins in his work The Selfish Gene. 

A meme (/miːm/ MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads through imitation from person to person within a culture. It often carries symbolic meaning representing a phenomenon or theme. 

It was hijacked by social media and now it means: a kind of joke or idea spread through the internet using altered pictures or videos. 

Here’s one that caught my eye because in one go, it humorously describes what the Christmas season has brought upon Metro Manila.   

Because of fair use, anyone can create or share memes, like I am doing, without fear of being sued—unless it is used for commerical puproses. 

A few tidbits on the scientist who invented the word: “He is a proponent of atheism, the critique and denial of metaphysical beliefs in a god or spiritual beings. Much of Dawkins's work has generated debate for asserting the supremacy of science over religion in explaining the world.” (Britannica) 

As the celebration of Christmas continues in this part of the world, I affirm my belief in the truth of the Holy Birth in this passage from the good book. 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NIV) 

Noche Buena 2023: Missing Details

Through the years, I fussed big time over our noche buena (Christmas eve dinner). I documented details of the décor, turkey roasting process, table arragements, gifts, etc. 

Not this year. I had insomnia the previous night (my worst ever). That kept me woozy in church—from the worship service to the fellowship with brethren and finally our Christmas lunch.  

Back at home, I had a fever and felt queasy. Son #3 and Teresa did the turkey as they did last year, son #1 wrapped gifts, and I glued myself to either the bed or my keyboard. 

Noche buena finally! 

Both energy and desire to spruce up the dining table, dress up and put on my traditional wig deserted me. Even the photo op was taken over by son #1. 

Here they are: 

I cropped the turkey shots from two of the photos to show great appreciation for the handiwork of the chef. The bird was roasted to perfection, and the taste was sublime.   

Our photos are few and do not record the details, the way I would have wanted it. But they are more than enough. After all, Christmas IS—when Grace came down to take our place--even without the trimmings that keep us spinning to exhaustion. 

Overwhelming October

October, like September this year, had tons to offer. In fact, this 10th month of the year offered so much–it was overwhelming! And there were not enough days to blog about them all. 

It’s December (another month that is crammed with activities), but it is as good a month as any to look back on October. 

A month-long activity that ran simultaneously with my other activities (all of 31 days) is our church’s Missions Month. The focus of our denomination is this:   

“We envision transformed communities with mission–driven Christian congregations here and abroad for the glory of God.”

All messages from the pulpit by our pastor and invited speakers were about Missions. And as our Women’s Sunday School facilitator, I skewed all lessons toward missions, which required reading and research. It was a month of in-depth study of the Word. 

Then to cap the month of October, on the last Sunday, we donned costumes from various countries to stress the importance of spreading the good news.

Through all these activities, grace overwhelmed us so much more. 

As we relentlessly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King, every day of the year, our church commits to the great commission: 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

Red Flags and Red Alert

Red, red everywhere. 

Red was the dominant color in San Beda College Alabang, whose color is red for bravery and whose emblem is the Red Lion. Here I was invited to speak on “Nurturing Lifelong Readers.” 

It was uncanny that the premise of my talk was all about the color red—red flags and red alert, but neither has anything to do with the school’s red.   

It all began when Ms.Tere Ismaela, head of IBED-K Library, invited me to facilitate a seminar-workshop for middle-school teachers about instilling among students the love of reading.  

Immediately, I mined the topic and what I unearthed was not gold, but scum. The learning poverty of Filipino children ages 10 and below is dismal at 91% and in the lowest five out of 80 countries (World Bank and PISA reports) in reading literacy. Indeed, these are red flags that should put us on red alert.  

It’s heartbreaking; agonizingly painful for a children’s book writer like me. 

My dilemma: Will my talk be just a band-aid solution for a cosmetic change? This deep wound has been festering for years. Academic analysts point to these as culprits: poverty, schools without access to basic amenities (electricity, water, adequate classrooms and books). Worse, parents of these children who cannot read are under-educated and therefore do not regard reading as essential. 

My slides then dwelt on suggestions, instead of long-term solutions to a multi-dimensional problem. 

For our workshop, each of the five groups was to present in context the three vital values students need to learn from a reading program and the three most important attitude set that teachers need to implement it. 

Passionate. Inspiring. Committed. 

These came through loudly in all the presentations: rap, skit, musicale, role-play, and satire. As judge, I had no losers, only winners. So I begged Ms. Tere and her staff to please award all five groups equal prizes—and not just the top three as planned.

They agreed and what came next were spirited photo ops, book signing, and chats about students today. 

My last slide was a dream, wishful thinking:   

“Reading is my advocacy. From today, we are partners.” 

After the presentations and our chats, I felt that this dream has come true. Gigantic the problem may be, together we will do our share to nurture lifelong readers.

Beyond question, the San Beda red stands for bravery. The middle-school teachers embody the red lion. 

Why Celebrate Christmas?

“Terrible traffic!” we complain. 

Everywhere, human and vehicle traffic is horrendous: on the road and parking lots, in malls, restaurants, hotels, government halls, schools, etc.  Shopping, decorating, wrapping gits, attending or preparing for parties/reunions keep most people busy—and stressed.  

These happen every year when we celebrate Christmas. 

“Why do we celebrate Christmas? Asked our Pastor Moe in his exhortation during our church fellowship. 

He presented a simple listicle, which made me sit up to grasp it well. I am echoing and reflecting on it here (abridged), primarily for me to always remember, and for anyone who asks the same question. 

1. Christmas is doctrinal:  As a church, we believe in the Incarnation—God becoming flesh or taking on flesh—the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus. 

2. Christmas is historical: witnesses, documents, and books attest to the fact that Jesus was indeed alive and nailed to the cross.

3. Christmas is mystical: with awe and wonder, we cannot fathom why  the all-knowing, all-powerful God would give His life for inconsequential humans.

4. Christmas is relational:  Emmanuel, God with us! He came down to have a relationship with man. He made a way for us to reach him, as a demonstration of His unconditional love for us, so that we may likewise love one another (beginning with our own family).

5. Christmas is emotional:  We feel with our heart when we read the Gospel. The story of Jesus coming to earth touches our core and so we worship Him.  The decorations, giving of gifts, reunions, fellowships are all about the heart feeling celebratory.

The nativity is what adorns our church; it’s symbolic and graphic for both children and adults to understand why the birth of Grace, mankind’s Savior, is celebrated. 

Merry CHRISTmas! 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)

Two Elusive, Extraordinary Books

Twin grace I called it when I got hold of two books—on the same day and at the same hour—that bookworms may have a hard time finding. 

They are as different as day and night: one is a political book based on hard facts and actual episodes seen up close; the other is based on one’s imagination, a creative mind’s fancy, seen from the wild blue yonder. 

But both are a riveting read. 

In my right hand is Patricia Evangelista’s first-person account of the blood and gore caused by the EJK, and in my left is my good friend’s obra, Tomas Palces, Jr.’s first novel. 

“Some People Need Killing” is always out of stock in book stores. “Luza” can only be purchased from Tom and he lives outside of Metro Manila. 

Finally holding both is as rare as catching an eel after the nth try with bare hands. It has to be documented. 

And so I had my photo taken, before my eyes excitedly seesawed from the real and the unreal.  

Meet and Greet: Librarians of All Ages

The farthest I ever traveled after the pandemic was to Tagaytay: 45 kilometers from home. 

But on the  23rd of November, I dared double that distance: 92 km. I went to Clark (which encompasses the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac) for a Meet and Greet* event on the 3rd day of the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. (PLAI)  Centennial National Congress. 

This huge gathering of almost 1,000 librarians (from private and public schools; municipalities, and other oranizations) packed three convention halls. Mr. Rene B. Manlangit, PLAI President, delivered the welcome remarks and thus began the four-day convention. 

Hiyas of OMFLit, the publisher of my children’s books, made its presence felt by having a booth that displayed all Hiyas books—plus my OMF-published books for adult readers. 

Entering the venue, I made a complete volte-face. “Meet and Greet”does not refer to me. It refers to them.  

For four straight hours, I met and greeted delegates, professionals of all ages who facilitate access to information and resources within a library. They develop educational programs, manage databases, oversee the library staff, and (this is where Hiyas comes in) curate book collections to support learning and research. 

While browsing the Hiyas books, they asked incisive questions: What value is this book espousing? What grade level is it best for? Is this book based on research? Does this series promote Philippine culture? The seniors among them also bought books for their own reading pleasure. 

 

Some wanted to listen to the books’ back stories. 

That lovely afternoon of fun and grace galore in faraway Clark SMX was documented by the Hiyas staff. This picture library tells the story better than I can.  

*Meet and Greet 

A Note by Rote

 “My phone crashed!” my friend L said when I asked her what she thought of people sending daily greetings in GIF format. 

“I have to spend time deleting them so it won’t happen again,” she added.

This new phenomenon has bothered me for sometime. Why indeed do people send GIFs like a tic daily?!

I enjoy funny memes now and then and I love to get in touch and reconnect with friends, but when they send these ready-made images with words they did not compose every single day—with nary a personal note—I wonder about sincerity.  

A one-sentence caring note does not take much time and effort, so why would they do it by rote? It’s like sending a mechanical robot-greeter that has been programmed in advance. Emotions are out of the picture. 

I have about a dozen friends who send me these daily. I never quite know how to respond to them—except for a thumbs-up or heart emoji. 

Then an idea hit me: send my blog that tackles what is written in their GIF. For instance, “Have hope on everything.” (I have almost 2,000 uploaded grace blogs on a myriad of topics.)

My reply, “Attached is my reflection on your message on hope. What are your own thoughts?”  

The next day I get another GIF with no personal note.  

This saddens me. I ask myself again, are those daily GIFs sincere notes or simply sent by rote?  Have we turned into machines? Why do we let downloadable images speak for us? Why do we even have to send them? Don’t we know that these are a dime a dozen on the Net? Have we lost our soul? 

The last question I often ask these last days. 

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”  Psalms 42:11 (NKJV)   

Stamp of Approval

 Just one single stamp brought me multiple bliss. If that statement sounds redundant, well, it is. 

My dear friend, Beth Parrocha, also the book illustrator of the “Oh, Mateo!” series (15 books) and “Big Brother,” was chosen to illustrate the commemorative stamps* for National Children’s Book Month in the Philippines. 

One of the stamps features Mateo! 

The unveiling, led by Postmaster General Luis D. Carlos of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost), was held on the 15th of November.  

It is with great excitement to know that 8-year-old Mateo of Umingan, Pangasinan will travel to all the places the stamp is mailed to.  

In the book series, Mateo gets to travel outside the little town, where he lives with his farmer father, only once—“Oh, Mateo!” #7, All Aboard with Five Lolas. But now (multiple thanks to Beth), he is a jet-setter! 

Grace multiplied. 

*Commemorative stamps are regular postage stamps issued to honor some event, activity, or person of national importance; unlike regular postage stamps (known as definitives), they are printed only once and are allowed to go out of circulation as their supply runs out.