Wearing Mufflers in August

I loaded the laundry at the basement.
Then mulled whether I should return a phone that I bought spur of the moment yesterday
While I washed the dishes.
And reminded myself that I had to go back to the sink to wash the pans which I left to soak.
I opened the computer supposedly with a purpose,
But wandered to my emails
And saw a string of new mails
From my husband.
Who is sitting a few feet away from me.

It was chilly since yesterday.
I am wearing a muffler made from a shawl
From Cambodia
A gift from a former officemate.

I am made aware again of the passing planes
and the constant whirring of machines around me

It is a quiet morning
Except for all these whirring
And our clicking keyboards.

Splashing at Fountains

I watched as the kids played with glee while water spouted from the concrete ground.
It was one image that I definitely do not get to see a lot at home.
What with our concept of "init at lamig" or "basa at tuyo."
But not all Filipinos are afraid of playing in the rain, aren't they?
I am quite sure playing in the rain was one fond childhood memory I have, somewhere tucked in the recesses of my brain - which has forgotten some things.
I am certain, however, that people from the Philippines associate being wet in the rain with danger - necessitating a warm shower immediately after.
Are we afraid that the water is dirty? That it contains "germs?"

But we don't get to see kids from the Philippines playing in fountains. Our fountains are not meant to be interactive. Here, I think the water is definitely dirty.

Seeing the kids playing by the fountain, even if it is not something that I get to see at home, made me miss home.

Letter to Hotaru on Overflowing Thankfulness

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

-Galatians 2:6-7

Dear Hotaru,

There are many things that apply to me in Galatians 2:6-7, and especially in my current context. I had an essay title running in my mind even before we got here - “Yet again, in transition.” It was supposed to highlight how, yet again, my life gets to be in transition. And in a time when I feel I would like to be settled and rooted. I feel that I've had my share of moving around and seeing places and going yet again to a new environment does not excite me anymore.

But Paul's letter to the Galatians has something for me in that area – to “continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him.” I have sort of attributed the waning of my spiritual life to the many geographical moves I have made. I felt that if somehow I could live in a place for at least five years, I could find myself a good local church where I could build relationships, get involved in ministry, and grow in the faith. Here, I am reminded that I am to continue to live, to be rooted, to be built up – in Christ. I should know what that means, and I could possibly come up with a very spiritual affirmation of its significance in my life. But I use the next line in the verse to explain how the seemingly simple concept of continuing to live in Christ, being rooted and built up in him, is to me at the moment a practical mystery. “Strengthened in the faith as you were taught” - shouldn't this bring me back to my rationale of why I want to get rooted and settled down? Oh me, of little faith! So I conclude with that, and proceed to “and overflowing with thankfulness.”

At this particular time of the month, it is really hard to be thankful for me. At this time of the month, I am worried. I have been worried even before we got here. Here, I am reminded of thankfulness. I realize that I have not been very thankful lately because I have been worried.

It is so hard to be encouraged so quickly by a verse when you are struggling with faith, recognizing that you have been taught – but your faith has not been strengthened. And it is not because I moved so much, I guess. I have not taken it to myself to do my part to be rooted, to be built up, to be strengthened in faith. I have limited God to geographical comfort zones - “If I could just stay long enough in one place, I would probably have more faith.” And realize quickly how such a bad excuse it is.

I am reminded that faith can only grow when it is used. This is my little step of faith today – thankfulness. I may not be overflowing with it right now – but I'll get to that. “Count your blessings one by one...”

One by one.

You, included.

Yours,

Kulibangbang

How-to forward emails appropriately

I stumbled upon a blog by a Don Kishote which he actually got from an email that was sent to him by a friend. I am not an email forwarder, and I have to admit that I do not really open forwarded emails even from friends - except when I really don't have anything to do.

Anyway, when I do get to read a forwarded email, I check it with http://truthorfiction.org/ or http://breakthechain.org/. I have made it a point to call the attention of the forwarder to make sure they first verify information that they forward. And that long list of previous recipients is really annoying - and also dangerous - because it becomes a great source of email addresses for spammers. So think about it first when you forward email because there are two things that you might be doing:
1. You are perpetuating the spread of lies and untruth.
2. You are putting your friends at risk by exposing their email addresses.

Below is the post for those who don't want to follow the link.

Pasabilis: How-to forward emails appropriately

Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That’s right, all of that inconvenience over five cents!

How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps:

(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That’s right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the ‘Forward’ button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don’t click on ‘Forward’ first, you won’t be able to edit the message at all.

(2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address. If you don’t see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that’s it, it’s that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say ‘Undisclosed Recipients’ in the ‘TO:’ field of the people who receive it.

(3) Remove any ‘FW :’ in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.

(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading. Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.

(5) Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition . (Actually, if you think about it, who’s supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports?&nb sp; And don ‘t believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just aint so!)

(6) One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, ‘Send this email to 10 people and you’ll see something great run across your screen.’ Or, sometimes they’ll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen. IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!! (Trust me, I’m still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!) I don’t let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed. (Could be why I haven’t won the lottery??)

(7) Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them. Most of them are junk mail that’s been circling the net for YEARS! Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at Snopes. Just go to http://www.snopes.com/

Its really easy to find out if it’s real or not. If it’s not, please don’t pass it on.

So please, in the future, let’s stop the junk mail and the viruses.

TiongSan Harrison On Fire

April 2 was not a good day for TiongSan Harrison.

BUHAY AMERIKA

This got forwarded to me.
Sharing it here.

-----

Original message from Aizon:
HAY BUHAY AMERICA TALAGA
A friend named "Maeng Ni" posted this.
Lahat ng sinabi niya nakakatuwa at totoo.

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami
kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka,
kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano . Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America
maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America .

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America . Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit
card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila
maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disneyland , Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba
pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10 hours na sweldo mong
pinangbayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero
dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America. Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin.
Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America , ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas P40.00, sa
America $ 6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa Pilipinas, sa America $1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang
bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America . Lalo na mga nurses, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun
din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America .
Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang
sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa.

Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang
pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang
mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot
ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako
naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang
buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.

Letting Go

I lost my cellphone recently.
It slipped out of my pocket (I can see it all in my mind), while I was on a taxi, on my way home.
I cried a little over it. I was hoping to use that phone for a very, very long time. It was a favorite. I got that phone with a purpose. I needed a phone that was compatible with my palm, and it turned out the phone was already a model that was out of production.
I took the effort to go through every store in Greenhills just to look for it.
And I found it.
And loved it.
And then lost it.

It was funny, but it was the same feeling I had when I was looking for my palm. It felt like I was looking for an antique item. They were not the latest fads, and the store sellers might have found it weird that I was looking for items that were not very popular anymore.

Anyway, because modern life dictates that I will need a cellphone in order to continue living, I went off to the second hand cellphone shops one rainy afternoon when the queue for my jeep ride was rather long.
I went from one shop to another asking if they had phones less than one thousand pesos. They thought I was asking for a model.
But I eventually made a six hundred peso purchase.

I miss my old phone.

It takes a while to get used to a downgrade. But I have this intention to hold on to my P600.00 prize, as a sort of punishment (my previous phone was the fourth phone Clark Kent and I lost between the two of us in just a year), or look at at this way - a reminder - that it was just a thing.
My friends were very nice about it when I told them about my loss.
"Di bale adda kasukat na nga maymayat." (It doesn't matter. It will be replaced by something better.)

Hey, I got a text message.
My P600.00 phone works. That's all that matters, right?

Sigh.

Bangladesh Impressions

16:12 Mon Jan-21-2008
Dusty. And rundown. That would be the adjectives for my first impressions on Dhaka. But it's also - familiar. It's like what I felt when we were in Aceh - like being in some area of home.
Rickshaws- that would be the image I will have for Dhaka.

10:23 Tue Jan-22-2008
The sound would be - constant honking.
It's morning. At the rooftop restaurant of Ambala Inn. It's cold, actually. Like Baguio's morning chill these days.

00:35 Wed Jan-23-2008
The people do rise at the arrival of a king.

I commented how the people here- the Bengalis, actually, all seem to look the same, and how that makes me appreciate the diversity of Filipinos. I was looking at the different faces of the CHT indigenous peoples I'm working with and remembered how I was so surprised, when I met them for the first time, that they didn't look like the Bangladeshis I had in mind. I look at their faces again and smile, they look so much like Filipinos.

13:29 Wed Jan-23-2008
Oh, and crows. A new found friend said there are two things that you can see in Bangladesh. People and the black bird. Apparently, the government forbids the killing of the birds. Some say when you attack a bird, all the other birds attack you back. They're everywhere. Like pigeons in other parts of the world. Only they're not the kind of birds you play with and feed in the park.

23:42 Thu Jan-24-2008
A garbage sorter singing on a street side garbage heap.

Sudipto, Nmong, Achok, Mathura, Mrinal, and other heroic and admirable Adivasi brothers. Oh yes, and the Bengali consultant, who's making sure everybody thinks indigenous enough. We had dinner at his apartment. He has a German wife with a dragon collection. She had many interesting things to say about dragons. Their driver, jackie, gave us a lift home then picked us up again the following morning so we could get back to work.

The hotel restaurant cook who regarded us as friends when he learned we were Filipinos. He would come to our table with a Filipino greeting, and other Filipino phrases. He had worked in Kuwait, some 9 years ago, and he was the only man and only Bangladeshi with a bunch of women Filipino overseas workers. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant tonight, and he told us he gave us more servings than what should be. He started asking about our husbands, then commented how Filipino wives work so hard. He began naming his Filipino friends, asked us another time if we were going to come back to Bangladesh, then offered if we could take the boy waiter beside him with us back to the Philippines. Or we can give him our address and he could send the boy, then we give him a job.

17:55 Fri Jan-25-2008
Roller coaster rides - whatever mode of transportation it may be. But the most scary is the rickshaw. It's like you'll topple after every bump. The CNG crisscrosses like it does not share the street with another thousand CNGs and rickshaws and cars, and people, who even jostle with the wheeled machines at intersections.

Dhaka, Bangladesh Notes

We're going to South Asia! [It's a work thing though... so either that adds or lessens the hype, depends on you. :)]

I did not try to listen much on the 'stories' and advice that went around the office regarding this trip. First, because I said I would like to spare myself the expectations, and second, the comments made it seem like the place was not worth a visit. As in, "be happy if you didn't get a visa" kind of comments.

Anyway, I realized I needed the information for the very wise purpose called preparation. So now, I'm trying to scour the net for "tourist" information on Bangladesh. But I did not really need to go far. I didn't even google yet. I went straight off to Lonely Planet and found some good stuff from the forum threads. It's nice when people share their own stories.

I still need to find out about the current weather and what clothes to wear though... I should get back to that now.

I hope to write more later.

Cheesy Love Poems 1

I do make these kinds of stuff. I even made a whole booklet with one guy as an inspiration. I compiled all the cheesy stuff I made, did some effort to deliver the stuff to him (I never really knew if he got it), then disappeared from his life ( I think we both disappeared from each other's life - but it's not as if we had some sort of connection). He was one of the best images I ever fell in love with.

This one is not for him or about him. But it's cheesy. I thought you might want to have a read and share a chuckle.

01.09.08
Para kay Superman
(Habang nalulunod sa kalaliman ng kanyang pag-iisip ng mga bagay-bagay maliban sa akin)


Wala naman talagang
patutunguhan
Ang pag-uusap na ito
Dahil pareho tayong
Nakatingin sa kawalan

Ikaw lang pala

Dahil
Pinagmamasdan kita

Pilit umaasang
Nangungusap tayo
At may ugnayan
Sa ating katahimikan

Ngunit magkahawak man tayo'y
Hindi kita maramdaman
Hindi kita kasama

At dito
Sa kung tawagi'y "tayo"
Ako ay mag-isa

Friends, Mirrors and the Soul

There was this really nice message that got forwarded way back, I can't remember when.. and I probably have that message kept somewhere.. I just can't look for it now. But it says that friends are a mirror to our soul and each friend reflects a different facet of us.

Here's celebrating the friendships of then and now... and friends to come... as the soul continues its journey of growth and being found.

Culture Shock

I added a new continent on the list of places I've been to.
It's a wonderful opportunity - not quite expected, and quite beyond my wildest dreams - although it's not actually a dream.
I guess I've traveled enough already that traveling to new places does not really come as a surprise. I'm just glad to be around.

Anyway, somebody flew me in to one of those northern countries that didn't ratify the Kyoto Protocol, but which accounts for almost half of the greenhouse gas emissions that's' causing global climate change....

I'm supposed to be on holiday.

It's funny because I have quite determined that work for me was like attending school. Right now, I feel like I'm missing my classes.. and I'm a little worried on how I would catch up.

So anyway, I'm here. And it's been great.

Except that I can't get over feeling unwell about all the excess and over-consumption that I see around. And frustrated that I can't seem to do anything about it... not even talk - for propriety.

Or I'm probably not supergirl.

See you around.

Going to Market

Despite the chaos that is associated with it, I find it pleasant passing through the Baguio marketplace - or probably any market place.

I guess it presents for me something that is not in other places where I was during the day - a point of human contact with all the complexities that are in the many stories of the people that are either just passing by, like me - or who are there for a purpose.

In Baguio, the market is small enough such that there is a strong chance you would bump into someone you know. And you see other people bumping into other people that they know, it makes you smile somehow - here, the world is indeed small.

But there are also various other dramas in the market. Little and big kid vendors that go around insisting that you need another plastic bag even if you don't. Vendors with competing sing-songy voices calling you out. Buyers of varying character... there is so much life, so much color in the market. And so much evil too -- cheating, stealing... people clutching their bags tight on the lookout for snatchers. Policemen hover. Drunken men pass by causing trouble.... These are also part of life, and part of the colors of the market.

You got to try watching people sometimes when you pass by the market...

Bokawkan Road Traffic and Country Music

I was muttering how I had made the effort to go to the office very early and I was rewarded with a queue for the jeep at the jeepney turning point and very slow traffic at Bokawkan.
The young jeepney driver was playing country music and after a while, I actually found myself having a pleasant ride, if only I cast my eyes away from the front window that showed the long line of cars, trucks and jeepneys.. and just listen to the music.
It was actually nice.
But I still ranted about the traffic when I got to the office. :)

Muslim-Christian Dialogue Summer PRogramme

THE PEACEMAKERS' CIRCLE FOUNDATION, INC.

and the U.P. INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES

* *

with the support of the

U.S. EMBASSY Manila



are pleased

to announce the launching of its

INTERFAITH

PEACEBUILDING

INSTITUTE

on

*April-May 2008 *

through its

pilot programs on

* *

MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

FOR NATION-BUILDING



This is a live-in capacity-building program composed
of three progressive
training modules that will run for five consecutive
days. Each module is
designed to help prepare peace activists and
would-be
practitioners/ promoters of Muslim-Christian Dialogue
for the endeavor of
building mutually respectful and harmonious
collaborative relationships
between Muslims and Christians in grassroots
communities, and helping to
enable them to participate in promoting social
change.

* *

*Module I*:

INTRODUCTION TO MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DALOGUE

(April 20-24, 2008)



*Module II*:

BUILDING BRIDGES OF MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING

(April 27-May 1, 2008)



*Module III:*

GRASSROOTS MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIP- BUILDING

(May 4-8, 2008)

* *

The program is free-of-charge (inclusive of board
and lodging at the
University Hotel in U.P. Diliman for Modules I and
II). Thirty (30) Muslim
and Christian participants will be selected from the
military/police forces,
local government units, non-government
organizations, the academe, the
religious sectors, and the media. Commitment to
attend Modules I and II are
requirements for selection. Invitations to apply for
the program will be
sent out by November 15, 2007.



Anyone interested may send name and contact details
to The Peacemakers'
Circle through: e-mail address:
peacemakerscircle_ uri@yahoo. com; fax number
920-4618; or contact Orlan at telephone number
920-7622. *Thank you!*



Program Secretariat:

THE PEACEMAKERS' CIRCLE FOUNDATION, INC., Rm. 105
PhilDHRRA Partnership Center,
59 C. Salvador St., Varsity Hills 1108, Loyola
Heights, Quezon City, MMla.

Global Xchange Program Applications for 2008

GET READY FOR THE MOST CHALLENGING

SIX MONTHS OF YOUR LIFE!

Nine young Pinoys. Nine young British.

Six months. Living and working together 24/7.

Two countries. Outside your comfort zone.

One life-changing experience.

Are you up for it?

Global Xchange gives young people from the Philippines and the UK a unique opportunity to live and work together, develop and share valuable skills, and make practical contributions to disadvantaged communities in both countries faced with challenging situations.

You can be one of the nine Filipino volunteers of the 2008 Global Xchange Programme.

• 18 – 25 years of age (must NOT be younger than 18 or older than 25 between March and September 2008)
• Male or female
• Medically fit to undergo an active 6-month volunteer work
• Completed at least high school or secondary education
• Willing to do fundraising
• Willing to live and work with a British counterpart in a modest accommodation in a host family setting within a disadvantaged community in the Philippines and in the UK
• Flexible, open-minded and with a genuine commitment to learning
• Sensitive to the needs of others and can work within a team
• Can commit a minimum of 6 months (consecutive) to do 3 months of volunteer work in the Philippines and 3 months in the UK, and time to attend preparatory training

The following requirements are downloadable from www.vsobahaginan. org.ph.

• Application Form
• Personal Reference Form
• Professional Reference Form
• Parental Consent Form

Important reminders:

• You can send your Application Form via e-mail to gxp.fv@vsoint. org or via fax to 02-3762160. The other requirements need to be submitted by regular mail at: Global Xchange Programme Secretariat- VSO Bahaginan, Unit 505 Pacific Corporate Center, 131 West Avenue, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
• Please indicate the code (GXP Application – Your Surname) in the subject line of your e-mail or outside the envelope for regular mail
• Personal and professional reference forms should be sent in sealed envelopes
• Please use the cover letter of the reference forms to inform your referee about Global Xchange

Deadline for submission of application is on November 18, 2007. Only applications received on or before the closing date will be screened. Short-listed applicants will be invited to an Assessment Day scheduled in November 28/29, 2007. Training and fundraising activities start in January 2008. Exchange proper will commence in March 2008.

For inquiries, please send an e-mail to jayneil.ancheta@ vsoint.org or call 02-3746450 local 12.

“GO COUNTRY IN BANAUE”

“GO COUNTRY IN BANAUE”

The annual Oktoberfest celebration sponsored mainly by the San Miguel Beer Corporation will be held in Banaue with the purpose of enhancing tourism in the said municipality. The Ifugao Provincial Government in partnership with the Banaue Hotel & Banaue Youth Hostel and the Local Government Unit of Banaue prepared series of activities with the “Go Country in Banaue” concert featuring professional folk and country bands and the winner of the weekly amateur folk and country band competition as the focal event.

The said celebration will start off with a massive information drive on the first week of October in the different colleges and universities, local government units, other concerned agencies, and business establishments through a caravan to be participated by the sponsors and participating agencies and establishments. The caravan would be traveling to the northeastern part of the Cordillera and some municipalities of Nueva Vizcaya to encourage local bands to audition for the weekly competition. Winners will have a chance to be featured as front acts during the main concert aside from the cash prize that they would be receiving.

The “Go Country in Banaue” concert differs in that it will be presenting country songs which is the music genre of the Cordillerans aside from their indigenous music. This activity primarily aims to discover and develop local talents in the entertainment industry. It also aims to promote Banaue and the Banaue Hotel as the future premier destination of the North by institutionalizing the Oktoberfest celebration as part of the annual activity of the province.

Local amateur bands interested to join the weekly competition may contact the resident manager of Banaue Hotel, Ms. Ma. Zenaida Quinahan at the following numbers: (074) 386-4087 or 09184441931. Tickets for the “Going Country in Banaue” concert which will be held on October 27, 2007 at the carpark of the Banaue Hotel can be bought from the following ticket outlets:

Reference: Robie Halip

You Know You're From Baguio If... - Add to the List!

Help build up the 2nd list of "You know you're from Baguio If.." (If you're from Baguio, you've probably already received the first list in your email. Now here's your chance to add to the list.)

Click on the link below, press edit at the top of the page, and then add your thoughts:
http://mybaguiodreams.com /community/index.cgi/You_Know _You%27re_From_Baguio_If_.. .Part_2

Check out the other "activities" that you can also do at the Baguio Comunity Encyclopedia in www.mybaguiodreams.com.

Pass on and invite your friends to join the fun. :)

Sanctuary: My Baguio Dreams is Out!

Sanctuary: My Baguio Dreams is Out!

My Baguio Dreams is Out!

Inquirer.net
Breaking News / Infotech

Baguio's centennial memories placed online
By Vincent CabrezaNorthern Luzon Bureau
Posted date: September 29, 2007

BAGUIO CITY -- Everyone's fond memories of the summer capital will be collected for posterity online.
A firm that has been advocating Internet technology-based approaches to education, has opened a website that is dedicated to old Baguio recollections, in honor of two centennial celebrations coming in the next two years.
The only city built by the American colonial government at the start of the 20th century will commemorate its centennial on Sept. 1, 2009, while the Teachers' Camp, another US colonial-era institution, has marked 2008 as its red-letter year because of its 100th anniversary.
The online diary acts as a Baguio "wikipedia" for www.mybaguiodreams.com, which is administered by Elmer Soriano, president of Thinklab.
A wiki is a program that allows anyone to contribute entries to an online encyclopedia.
Soriano said his Baguio community encyclopedia allows every resident to build up a definitive history of Baguio, using anecdotal accounts as foundation for illustrating how Baguio was generations before 2007.
The city was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, and was established in 1909 by a city charter drawn up and reviewed by top American lawyers of the period.
Soriano said he set up the site after realizing that almost every generation has a story or two to tell about visiting Baguio.
It had always been easy to get Baguio's frequent celebrities to share a nugget or two about the city.
President Macapagal-Arroyo, a perennial visitor, often recounts how husband Jose Miguel Arroyo courted her in Baguio.
Mr. Arroyo's family owns a Baguio vacation house, which is a stroll away from the presidential Mansion, where Ms Arroyo spent her vacations with her father, the late former President Diosdado Macapagal.
"There seems to be so much talent in Baguio, but it seems that this talent is not harnessed to help build up the city. We have bar topnotchers, chess whizzes, top bands… so much energy in Panagbenga (the annual Baguio Flower Festival), but for the rest of the year, it is as if that energy goes down," Soriano said.
"I thought it would be wonderful if we were able to harness all that creativity, passion, talent on a weekly or even daily basis," he said. "I think that as we approach our centennial, it would be great if we could re-enchant the next decades by articulating our dreams and by unlocking our collective imaginations, then creating the city that [we] hope for."
Even tragedy breeds lasting Baguio stories, Soriano said.
Former senatorial candidate Sonia Roco, the wife of the late Sen. Raul Roco and who survived the 1990 earthquake here, could not help but return to the city to overcome her trauma.
Mrs. Roco's last public visit to the summer capital was during the campaign period this year, and it led her back to the Nevada Square, the site of the hotel she was staying in when the earthquake struck on July 16, 1990.
This early, the website has been receiving contributions "from strangers," Soriano said.
He said they are drawn to key themes posted by Thinklab.
It marked out categories for the interesting taxicab names, and "the best place to bring a tourist friend."
But it is a profile ladder called "You know you're from Baguio, if…" which has intrigued online contributors.
Like American host and comedian David Letterman's "Top 10 List," this item has been receiving humorous and nostalgic responses, Soriano said.
One entry poked fun at the fact that in the 1970s, the only grocery store known to residents was Sunshine Grocery, and that school supplies could be bought only from CID Educational Supply, which has since broken up into smaller supply stores, all named Cid.
Entries also refer to the city's social history.
Some contributors said a person grew up in Baguio if his or her idea of a walk was strolling up and down Session Road for hours.
The central business district used to be limited to the road spanning the city market and Luneta Hill, where the Pines Hotel once stood. Nowadays, it is the SM City Baguio that looms over the city.
Another entry defines a Baguio old timer by the fact that he or she effortlessly speaks English with "no colegiala" twang and would never wear Baguio-labeled bonnets or shorts in public.
Soriano's site also offers a chance for residents to discuss Baguio's future.
Photographs comparing today's Session Road to European streets have been posted, apparently to ignite discussions about a proposed pedestrianization of downtown Baguio.
Session Road businessmen are opposing the proposal of former city architect Joseph Alabanza to convert Session Road into a pedestrian mall with trees and outdoor cafés.
Soriano also linked up galleries of top Baguio destinations, as well as the music video "Suntok sa Buwan," performed by the band Session Road. The video shows clips of old Baguio.
He said he has no personal advocacy regarding how Baguio could evolve.
"I just believe that if more people get engaged in the discussion, the best ideas will simmer to the top… The [Baguio online] community takes a life of its own," he said.


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