SEVEN BOOKS A WEEK

There are few changes in my life now. That sounds too profound. So I'd like to restate that. I am now a morning person. Alright, that's a lot better. I used to dread my weekly change of schedule. No. I don't just dread it. I hated it. It is one of the few reasons why at some point I wanted to quit my present job. But it pays to be patient and persistent. I am now a morning person!

Taking a bath these days takes a lot of courage. It's the cold that seems to penetrate my skin down to the bones that makes me grit my teeth in utter shivering. Well I guess this is not just my plight. This is everybody's. Cheers to that!

Since indulging in water seems insurmountable these days, I have to sit first in one corner of my bed after waking up, just blankly gazing at the beige-colored wall of my room. And then if I felt the strength to move, I'd pick that remote control in my miniature table and turn on the tv. And then, there's Francis Kong still wearing that smile when I first met him on a National Leadership Training Cruise. I have to admit I am a fan. He is one speaker that once he starts talking you can't feel anymore the lingering pain of an ant bite. I mean it. Your eyes will be glued to him in utter disbelief how this person can hypnotize you with his words full of wisdom and inspiration. You hardly notice the time when its him talking. How time flies so fast!

I could still remember, one of the participants, who has just gotten a degree in education was asked by him if she badly needs a job and without batting an eyelash, she said yes. Who wouldn't? Well Francis Kong with all his might in business and business connections said "I can provide you a teaching post" if you pass my requirement. Francis Kong then asked "How many books do you read in one week?". And there was silence. All heads bowed. I saw it. I was the last to bow.

Reading is fun. Reading is highly essential. Reading is a must.

A highly successful businessman never finished college and yet made it in the business world. His secret. He read 7 books a week.

I know of a person who based his friendship on how big you build your library. He has a point. Conversations are avenues of learning. Remember that life is too short to experience everything that it has to offer. Nobody would want to talk to a lousy conversationalist with a lousy, nonsensical vocabulary. It is empirical then to learn from other people. It is pretty much the same when we ask what our classmates know from what they have read before the exam starts. Nostalgia! However, I'd like to make myself clear that it should not be the sole basis of friendship. As what a colleague remarked when I told her of the library as basis for developing friendship, she said "Not everyone has the monetary capacity to own a book. Some just borrowed. That does not make them less of a reader". Point well taken. The main point is, "We have to read".

One way to improve ourselves to to surround us with people better than we are.

How about seven books a week? I wish I could but the main point is, "We have to read".

It's near 7:00 o'clock! I should take my morning bath before getting a written warning for tardiness. I already have two. One more to go.

LIVING IN SOLITUDE

I asked recently a colleague if there’s a term in psychology that refers to a person who enjoys in solitude most of the time. She seemed preoccupied with her analysis that she just earnestly smiled as an answer to my query.

"Why do you live alone in your rented house?"

The question above has been asked to me innumerably that in fact I have gotten used to it. And this is how it usually start.

Commencing a conversation with a stranger, (Let me first qualify the word “stranger”. It could be a friend of my friend, an auditor from another brewery, or a new colleague) one of the informations that will be asked is the location of your house. Then the trail of questions will follow. Take for example my case. Once they know that I am renting my own place. The follow-up question to that would be, "How many are you in the house?" My answer to that. "I live alone". As a follow-up to the follow-up question, would be "Why do I live alone?" If I may deduce the question, they wanted to know if it is a personal choice or a pure circumstance. So I would say it’s a choice. My answer will always elicit a conspicuous, pensive gaze shown in their eyes riveted on my face. "Are you a loner", they would ask. "I am not", I would answer.

My growing up years is not extraordinary. I am like any other child.

Rainy days are blissful days. I play mud, trying to make artistic forms and shapes of anything conceivable under the rain. Playing hide and seek becomes more fun, when running is made difficult by the slippery ground. We choke in laughing when we see someone slide over and fall.

Sunny days are doses of happiness. The fields and the outdoors are my haven for excitement and fun. Swimming with friends from sun dawn to sun dusk on weekends is an activity to look forward to. On some days when we become lazy to walk the long distance going to the beach, we would busy ourselves creating the most gaudy and gigantic kites. And then we compete whose kite soared the highest.

Dissecting my childhood memories, I am certainly not a loner. I take pleasure in the company of friends.

More so when I was in school. You will rarely see me singly in the campus. I practiced badminton with co-varsity players. I interviewed campus personalities for my feature story in our publication. I camped with fellow classmates during science week celebrations. I led as an officer in student organizations and clubs. Long before I know that it is fun to be with other people.

After I painstakingly finished all my academic requirements, it marked the time to bid goodbye to the comforts of my home. It signaled the moment to embrace living separately with my parents and live to a place I can consider my home.

Economics tells me that life is difficult. Therefore, people who are perplexed why I live independently in a house is comprehensible. They may be correct and sound to do that gesture for practicality reasons but I chose to stick to the wisdom of living independently.

Living independently made me a different person.

I decide on where and what food to eat to satisfy my own craving. I manage to wake up without other people pulling off my hands. I plan my activities for the rest of the day without the consent or approval of someone else. I clean my place which makes me conscious of my own litter. I brush the tiles and bowl in my CR. I take time in taking a bath without having to worry for the next users. I read books free from distractions of human sounds. I sing my heart out anytime I want. I trip off or put on the fluorescent lamp any time of the day. \

This is the picture of living in solitude. And that is not to detach myself from other people.

I am in full control of my life. I am a mature, young professional who has found his niche outside the portals of the academe. I am now a person who stands on my feet gripping fully on my cognitive capacity to decide on my own.

I am a person who chose to live in sheer solitude. I, who knows the wisdom of living independently.

INVADING BACOLOD, RECOUNTED; A STRANGER'S TALE

I have figured out two reasons for writing this. One, which is more important, is to make you laugh or at the very least smile. Second is to bring some information which you might find apropos. A good laugh and a good thought are a perfect combo to kick off the year of the Ox.

Warning! Don't underestimate the power of words! Before you know it, you are already giggling in laughter 'til your lungs burst, God forbid.

Born and raised in Dumaguete, I am a certified "Bisdak", a contraction of the cebuano phrase "Bisayang Daku". I speak and know the dialect by heart. As time evolved, the word "Bisdak" has acquired a lot of connotations, two of which are glaring not just exclusive to the circle of pure Cebuanos but reaches as far as the Manileños or the Ilonggos alike. One is called Bisdak if one enunciates wrongly. For example, the Tagalog word "ate" is enunciated with a long "e" which makes it "ati". Or one is called Bisdak if one dresses out of fashion. They try to figure out Bisdaks as people who do not know the difference between straight cut jeans and skinny jeans. People who only have a slim chance of visiting shopping malls. But I will not extract a single sweat to prove that these are all fallacies. However, allow me to articulate that one should not make a generalization unless otherwise proven.

I could still remember that one fateful day when I was asked by my manager why I wanted to be transferred in Cebu. (That time, I was in Bacolod.) I paused. I thought very hard to make myself as persuasive as I could. It's going to be a make or break decision. A critical one. Life-changing maybe. I gave three reasons of decreasing importance. With eagerness and decisiveness I said "Sir there's no language barrier, Cebu is a really familiar place, and its nearer to my abode. Now, I am still in Bacolod. Could somebody tell me any reason more convincing? Who knows that question might come to me tomorrow or next month.

Since I was made to stay, I can't possibly beat all Ilonggos in Bacolod, so I have to join them. This means I have to learn their dialect, the Hiligaynon.

I was utterly lost when I set foot in the city in 2006. With no relatives around, I know I am in for a big challenge. Lost because I didnt even know where to start. My first unforgettable moment was when I rode a jeepney. A passenger with a roaring voice said, "Bangga lang". I thought, what? It made me panic! What the hell is that? Why would he want this jeepney bumped! So I waited. But nothing notorious happened. We just halted beside the street. I felt relieved. When I got home, I hastily asked my landlady what "bangga" means and to my surprise its not to bump. Thank goodness my panic did not manifest! It could have been a Bisdak moment?!

I was with my colleagues when we were about to cross the street, I declared "labang", but nobody crossed. They just gave me a pensive stare. To cross in Hiligaynon is "tabuk". Now I know!

I saw this miniature animal trying its way near us when I exclaimed to a friend, "ok-ok". To my surprise, that friend did'nt even react. Cockroach in the dialect of the Ilonggos is "tanga".

I almost quarreled a colleague because she said she'll be around in a while. I waited for minutes before she came. What she said to me was, "Coming nko karon". Trying to settle things, I came to know that "karon" in Ilonggo means later but in Cebuano, it means now. How contradicting words can get!

All of these mishaps are already etched in my mind. Inseparable! Who to blame? No one! Not my manager of course! (I hope he can read this.) Because whenever I look back, it always gave me that beaming, contagious smile. Now I am smiling!

Introspecting

Its over! Welcome 2009! This is not about future events; though somehow related.

I still remember in high school when we indulge in discussion about what we want to be. With conviction I would tell my classmates that I wanted to be in the media. Maybe juggling between print and broadcast media. This was the time when I was utterly involved in our school paper publication and joined in many school's press conference. I really thought then that I would take Mass Communication, Creative Writing, or Comparative Literature in college.

The day came when we eagerly queued for enrolment in college. Someone who knew me might say that I am lost in the lines because I enrolled in BS Chemistry, to the surprise of my friends and classmates, even to my self. Maybe the non-conformist in me striked that I could not resist. The biggest challenge from then on is to stand by the decision that I have made. Near our graduation, discussions were focused on the careers we want. All of my classmates envision themselves to be working in the laboratory. This is not however difficult to comprehend after all, four years in the course were spent mostly in the lab. I dont think its the non-conformist in me that striked again that I wanted to teach. No. That is what I wanted. My classmates just smiled. I did not bother to decipher what's in it! I just smiled too.

After passing the Chemists Licensure Exam, barely five months after graduation, I was already in front of my first year nursing students in the University of San Jose-Recoletos teaching biochemistry. It was indeed a fulfilled dream. I enjoyed school everyday; teachers' activities, students' activities, tecaher-student activities. But it only lasted for one semester. Fate has its own way of revealing surprises.

And so I am back to room filled with chemicals from A-Z; glasswares of varrying shapes, forms, and sizes; equipment with different intricacies.

Am I now to where I am suposed to be? Is this what I really wanted? What about my taking Law? Or a PhD in Chemistry?

It is not for me to answer now. The thing is, all the decisions we have made are to our accountability. Not our professors, not our friends, not our families. We find joy and contentment to what we have. We let go of mistakes and learn from them. We are grateful even to the little blessings we receive and we smile at all times and at all cost!

Happy New Year to One and ALL!

In the MODE for CHRISTMAS

There is something about the Christmas season that makes it really special. This time of the year, people are marked with happy faces! There is optimism in the air and the thrill of waiting is beyond definition of the words bliss and ecstasy!

Christmas in the eyes of a child means receiving toys as presents. It means having new polo shirts, pair of socks, and shoes to be worn during the midnight mass. A celebration full of colorful sparklers and incessant blowing of the Christmas horn. These are the memories I remember when I was a child.

Then came the time when we go around the neighborhood singing Christmas carols which most of the time are jarring their celebrations. Unbearable it may be, our neighbors are still gracious to have our presence a joy in their midst.

As a grown-up, the feeling of Christmas nearing is way different. The excitement that escalates as the day draw nearer to Christmas day is apprarenty the same but this time, the reason for the excitement is conspicuously not that of a child. This time, it means giving joy to our family and love ones. Joy that comes not in glittery presents but in the simplest thought that one shares what he has.

There is a dominating feeling of nostalgia for old happy memories with friends and relatives. There is indeed plenty of joy that one can extract from going back to the way it was before, a carefree, simple, and happy self.

Christmas is also the time to retrospect. We try to find meaning in every day that we have lived our life. We dissect past events to fuller vision that will illuminate the days to come. We renew values in life that we have somehow put aside. We evaluate relationships whether they have made us a more distinct person, a person that we really are.

"And so this is Christmas and what have you done?"

"Logotherapy"

I have just finished reading a book by Viktor Frankl, a neurologist and psychiatrist, titled Man's Search for Meaning. He is the proponent of logotherapy from the word "logos" which means meaning. He upholds the will to meaning as opposed to Freud's will to pleasure and Adler's will to power.

His contention is that to live means to suffer and to survive means to find meaning in our suffering. He emphasized however that suffering in this context is suffering that is inevitable. Self-imposed suffering is not heroic, it is masochistic.

When I chanced to read the title of the book owned by a colleague, i immediately told him that i will be the next reader of the book. It was indeed very enlightening! He said that one should live in search of meaning for life, otherwise, you will be in the dungeon of darkness nowhere to go, and gaping for a trace light.

According to him, there is no general definition of life, after all, no two individuals are the same, and every person is living a different life. He further said that one's definition is very dynamic as it can change from time to time. It could be a split of a second.

Our search for meaning in our life serves as our compass in living the future. That gives us the inspiration to go on living even in the greatest tribulations of our life.

He also differentiated logotherapy from psychoanalysis. Phychoanalysis is like a painter. He has a picture in his mind drawn in a canvass for the viewer to see exactly what he wants them to see. On the other hand logotherapy is like an opthalmologist, he makes the people see a clearer picture of the world around us.

Man should not spend his lifetime pursuing for happiness, instead he should find reasons for him to be happy.

Man should not be self-actualizing, but rather self-transcendent. Self-actualizing is knowing the self by focusing only of the self, while self-transcendence is knowing the self by opening up to other people. Remember that how people see us is what we really are.

Enjoy reading the book because there's more to learn.

A Toast and A Smile

Cheers! A celebration is about to unfold! Let’s have a toast and a smile!

We are a unique people. We stand out from the rest of the world. Hmmmm! But don’t think of our being one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Or our being great imitators. Or our undying patronage to international brands that this speech is all about. The uniqueness that sets us apart from the rest of the world is the way we value celebrations that involves the family. Take for example, town fiesta, birthday, death anniversary, wedding anniversary, Christmas, New Year and the list could go on. These are “tatak Pinoy”. These are marks of being Filipinos.

Filipino celebration means extravagance! All kinds and all sorts! The best home decors, the best kitchen utensils, the best food, and the best Beer – the San Miguel Beer. It will not be complete without it! It makes conversations longer, spontaneous, and natural. Remember the saying that “Drunken words are spoken by sober hearts”.

What exactly is beer? Beer is an alcoholic beverage with a distinct bitterness, aroma, and foam. Its main ingredients are malt from the barley plant, hops which provides the bitter taste, and water. An average beer contains zero cholesterol, zero fat, 13 g of carbohydrate, 25 mg of sodium, protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins B2 and B6, and alcohol.

Did you know that it is now a proven fact that beer can provide the same health benefits as wine? Studies show that drinking beer in moderation can and will reduce your chances of stroke, as well as heart and vascular disease.

Proof # 1. In November of 1999, the New England Journal of Medicine stated that light to moderate beer drinkers would decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20%.

Proof # 2. In May 1999, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas reported that consuming moderate amounts of beer would lower one’s chances of coronary heart disease by 30-40%, compared to those who don’t drink at all. This is because of the fact that beer contains a similar amount of antioxidants as red wine and 4-5 times as many as white wine.

Proof # 3. Alcohol has been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping decrease blood clots.

Proof # 4. Beer provides a 30% increase in vitamin B6 into the blood plasma – something that neither wine nor any other liquor can do. Vitamin B6 prevents heart disease.

Proof # 5. Beer is both fat-free and cholesterol free, something that suits really for the health and diet conscious!

The only problem nowadays is the fact the people seems to abuse everything. They drink more than they should, and sobriety becomes a discarded word. The dictum “too much of something is bad enough” still works. Being responsible is always the key to having fun with friends and enjoying a nice cold glass of San Miguel beer.

Let’s have a toast and a smile. A toast for a celebration of life-long family ties that makes us unique and a smile for a healthier you. Cheers!