Living in the City

BAYAN KANG MAGILIW Official Music Video

2022-08-15T01:01:00.002-07:00

Pandering

2022-08-11T23:56:00.003-07:00

Am I real?
What if I was just a character
In a computer game
Of some child genius from the distant future?

Give me an idea of my program
I will try to decode it.
What is my role in this game?
Who are the rest of the characters?

It was a mistake
To assume I was the lead character
Can you please debug
I am kinda getting out of sync.

The synapses are beginning to numb
What do I have in between my glial cells
I wish I were Sophia
Or maybe Elon?

It is good to have noble intentions
And have altruistic plans
But my programmer needs to do a fast forward.
Help me out please?

Finding things to be productive

2022-08-10T02:42:00.002-07:00

Sketches I did way before Covid. Using them to update my blogs.

From the Subdivision to Apartment Dwelling

2022-08-09T03:38:00.005-07:00

Recalling what happened..

The Covid pandemic struck. And yes we have since moved to a much smaller place in another city. My Mom died in 2019. It is something I refuse to remember. I am trying to feel but could not.

My granddaughter surprisingly commented that our new place is "liit" or small. I guess she was just being honest. I remember her telling me in a begging like manner to not leave our old place in a subdivision. I can't blame her cause at that instance, I realize she probably thought there's no way she can bike in this tiny, new place. Yay!

But the many challenges we have to take on and squarely face started when we got this place. For the life of me, I can't even begin to enumerate them.

Somehow, another hurdle over. And I am still here.

PRRD is my idol

2021-07-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

Regardless of what his detractors say about him, President Duterte remains someone I truly admire. No, he does not know me or know anyone I know, but deep in my heart and whatever's left of my aging brain, I believe he truly cares about the ordinary Filipino.

Is There Hope Living Under This Pandemic?

2021-03-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

There should be. Otherwise, what can we look forward to? According to experts, we need to vaccinate70 percent of the world's population to achieve herd immunity. As of March 16, 2021, 90M people had been fully vaccinated with 390M doses administered. Slow roll out according to experts. And does vaccination ensure we can all go back to our normal lives? Maybe yes, maybe not. Because vaccines do not guarantee we are safe. Some scientists declare that vaccines might not even prevent transmission. Further, that immunity might not last forever. Good luck then to us humans.

Living And Learning With MOOCS

2021-03-04T22:58:00.001-08:00

This blog note I posted in my LEARNING blog which I never got to continue developing as I was occupied with developing several other content I was trying to do at that time - 2013.

So timely because today all students are online. And I was on it way, way back. I was almost retired at that time but because I wanted to continue learning I found out that I could continue learning through MOOCS.

So what are MOOCs?

MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses are free online courses asynchronously accessible through the Web. These courses are offered by educational institutions like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and other big league schools in the United States. MOOCs do not give university degrees but taking these courses could supplement college studies or refresh everything you have learned upon retirement or whenever there is an opportunity.

At the time, MOOCs were provided FREE. Full audit and can participate in the exams. They also gave out Statements of Accomplishments to those who just audit the courses; or today, one can take it with Verified Certificates for a fee. (kind of steep)

I took my courses from coursera, edX, novoed, open2study and stanford online.

Learning Through MOOCS Require:

1. Desire to learn - there is no easy way trying to learn new things. Motivation, and a whole bunch of determination can do you good during difficult and lazy moments.

2. Discipline - online courses are delivered through video lectures, with corresponding reading requirements, assignments to fulfill, quizzes to take under strict deadlines. Goes without saying, you have to ace the examinations if not pass.

It's almost like taking the course in a classrooms, but lessons are served virtually. You need discipline in managing your time to do all the required activities. There are self-paced classes though, if you are just there to audit or lurk. Always, effort equals success.

3. Familiarity with technology as in using computers, emails, web browsers, and other software that may go with the learning. You have to those in place where you want to take your chosen courses.

4. Openness - of course, it is very important to maintain an open mind.

Take Note Online Students.

Living And Learning Art

2021-03-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

I was taking the "Live! A History of Arts for Artists, Animators and Gamers!" offered over at Coursera under Jeannene Przybliski, Phd. way back in 2013. The guts..

It is now 2021. I am living in a world full of doubt and insecurity due to the pandemic. At that time I was full of doubt.

Whatever I felt then with the following statements, I have already recovered.

'But whatever gave me the idea that I could mingle with what could be a MOOC class full of talented artists? After all, I am not one and I know I will never be. That is just it. I don't think there's anything wrong about aspiring to become an artist. Having said that, I will be bold enough to declare, I am going to have fun, learn and take what I can from the course and from my fellow MOOC mates; be inspired by the teacher, and most importantly, admire and get astonished with the awesome art works from the best. I dare not be intimidated. Wish me luck.'

Because I found out that I could draw, I could paint, I could sketch and I could write about it. My interest in learning more about the art work of the great artists taught me so much about myself - that whatever I choose to do I could do. I just had to believe in myself.

Living With Learning - C'est La Vie

2021-03-03T22:36:00.006-08:00

I published this post on April 16, 2015 in one of the numerous blogs I wanted to develop at that time. This was written as a required narrative for one of my MOO classes I was taking at that time. Since I was unable to continue developing that blog now at this pandemic times I am choosing to share as this is close to my reality as a city dweller.

A piece of fictional narrative submitted to a MOO class in 2013 entitled C'est la Vie.

"That's life. It was a phrase I often repeated after becoming an unwed mother. It was for the best because abortion could have been worse. Life changed. As soon as the father of my child refused to marry me, and disappeared. At 22, the stigma of life alone, with a child,and without a husband was too much to bear.

Call me stupid but poor me, how could I have been irresponsible? Worse, the values of honor and respectability sacredly honored by my family were all violated, by me.

Epictetus, the Greek sage and stoic philosopher said that, "external events are determined by fate beyond human control," and in order to gain wisdom, one must face and endure hardships with dignity and courage."

Epictetus was right; there exists an entity out there perhaps called a Divine Master, orchestrating mortal life events, someone so huge, calling the shots in the Universe. To my many questions, no answers could be found. It was time to accept that I was going to have a child.

The journey was not easy. It was a struggle to stay in a Catholic home for unwed mothers. Difficult as it was for her, my mother requested me to temporarily move out of our house to avoid gossip. It was actually a relief; saving her and the family from the resulting embarrassment.

But at work, my boss was far more forgiving, perhaps because I was not blood related or maybe because she was a woman, she allowed me an extended leave, free to come back soon after giving birth.

At the Home, the Nuns urged me to give up the baby for adoption. It was for the best of the child. Damn! What gives them the right to determine what is best for the baby?

I tried to take refuge at a friend's house, but not for long, her Mom said I needed to go back home; she didn't want to appear she condoned what happened; after all she was an active Catholic community lay leader.

To indulge in self-pity was out of the question, but I recognized that, "suffering and calamity," was an inseparable part of a larger reality. It was the way of stoicism.

I faced a hostile world, but I gathered strength enough to sustain an inner peace which was what I needed to do for the baby. Just as people and things possessed their own reasons for being, my mother could not accept what happened to me; she failed to grasp the meaning of what happened and instead blamed it on herself.

There must be a good reason why I became a mother at a very young age. It was definitely not a mistake - simply ill-timed. I accepted my fate because life chose me, I loved my child with the same conviction that I loved my mother. Perhaps, her lack of empathy at that point was temporary. The contradictions of life happened to show that life can not be lived without suffering, without sacrifice.

I understood that the father of my child loved his daughter, in his own way; different people expressed love differently. It was not easy, but in time I realized that love can not be measured and that was life. It was clear to me.

Love nurtured my daughter's life and hers mine. Her innocence showed me the beauty of the world, as I taught her the simplicity of life. In the daily battles of life, some were won, some were lost. The Universe chose us because life was meant to be lived and fought head on with courage and with acceptance.

I lived that life the best way I could. Today, I say life was the best gift ever and doing my best was its own reward."

###

Living Lousy

2021-03-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

There are days we feel lousy. That is fine. Life can never be perfect. The truth is: most often life sucks, so there is no point living peachy if it is not - even for a day, or maybe a week. What's important is we know how to get out of that lousy feeling. We can learn it because it is a skill.

Living With The Bad Thought of Lack Of Vaccine

2021-03-01T22:03:00.090-08:00

Six hundred thousand doses of the Sino Vac vaccines arrived yesterday. Thank you for the donation China. Another 2.0M is expected to arrive next week from the WHO COVAX program. Thank you UK. Thank you WHO.

But true, these number may seem not enough. But what is this I hear there's just a trickle getting listed to be vaccinated. Is it the ordinary people's distrust for the donor country?

These thoughts are bad. The complaining.. the distrust.. the blaming. Take a moment and do some thinking. These are negative thoughts. Release. It is making most of us tense.

Why not flip around.

Think: I am still alive. My body is working still. There's some food on the table a roof above my head.

Let go of the negative feelings. Yes easier than done. But what is the alternative?

Happy Thoughts!

Ordinary Thoughts During The Pandemic

2021-02-28T21:59:00.029-08:00

Blurry Thoughts

And Then

Naps Under Trees

Angry Thoughts

Imagine

Breaths Of Fresh Air

Swirling Indoor Air

Just To Turn To

Breaths Of Stale Air

TREES.

I Love You Tree.

Living with Covid Pandemic

2021-02-28T20:45:00.008-08:00

It's been almost a year since the covid-19 virus descended upon the world. What happened between then and now? Lockdowns, RT PCR tests, face masks, face shields, social distancing, health protocols, businesses closed, online purchases, online classes, online gaming, covid infections, isolation centers, quarantines, deaths, recoveries.. on and on and on AND now vaccines. At last, we are looking at some hope to solve this health crisis.

It's been quite a while since I updated this blog. Perhaps, it is time to use it as a tool to document my observations on what has been happening here and there.

Strictly from what I can remember, I will try to share my experiences during the pandemic. I hope it makes sense. So watch out for it. Thank you.

2020-09-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

A poem..

Ang kalimitan kaganapan sa mundo ay pera-pera lang.
Konti na lang siguro
Ang di nasisislaw sa pera sa panahon ngayon.
Kasi mahirap walang pera. Di mo mababayaran utang mo.
Di ka makakain ng tama at husto.
Di ka makabibili ng gamot mo. Wala kang pera sa bangko.
Mababa tingin sayo ng tao, kahit malapit sa buhay mo.

Kailan ba ako nagluho? Di ko matandaan.
Basta at may pera sila inaalala. Tulad ng nanay ko
Di ko masyado pino-problema pera.
Sana lang kung walang kailangan bayaran.

Okey lang kahit walang personal assets,
Pero pano pag dumating na si kamatayan.
Ma-momoroblema pa sila.
Paano ka ipalilibing? Walang ipon. Mangungutang pa sila?
Ah sa SSS may 20,000 yata dun. Arkila na lang ng ataol.
Pa-cremate para di pa magastos.
Bahala na siguro sila. Patay ka na.
Di ka na dapat mag problema.

Living and 2015 Halloween

2015-10-31T19:42:00.001-07:00

Son in halloween costume

Living with City Density

2015-04-23T01:02:00.001-07:00

It is a must that we curb our population growth

Guesstimates peg that Metro Manila's population has grown to almost 15million today. In 1974 while doing my OJT at POPCOM, national rowth rate was 33% and Metro Manila's population at that time was 4 million. Today it has bloated to almost 15 million after rate was said to have been 'reduced' to 32.1%. Not much improvement really.

Metro Manila population has grown alarmingly fast. We all know what this means. Living and health conditions deteriorate. Poverty becomes the order of the day. If there are more than 15,000 individuals on a mere square kilometer, you can imagine pollution, over crowding, resources dwindling and then disease not to mention managing flood disasters in the magnitude of Ondoy and Pepeng. Poor social and economic conditions prevail if not worsen.

The Reproductive Health Bill has been approved.

Living Money

2014-10-20T02:29:00.001-07:00

"Charity degrades those who receive it, and hardens those who dispense it."

"Money is not neutral; it changes everything, including the ability to neutrally judge what people will or will not do for you."

Living My Plan

2014-10-20T01:11:00.002-07:00

My art plan is to paint..and the journey begins with this collage I did to remind myself to pursue and realize my mantra every step of the way.

Living Creatively

2014-10-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

"Daily patterns of creating, of working hard to solve problems may lead overtime to breakthroughs for ourselves and others."

Living Love Letter Book

2014-07-12T02:24:00.002-07:00

A Book About Wonderful and Amazingly Written Letters

I found this link and it tells about a book about letters written from the heart. I specifically love this one written by a dying mother to her daughter.

Check it out I guarantee that if you haven't written a snail mail in a long time, this will encourage you to write something again on paper and mail it through the Postal System.

Living 2014

2014-01-24T05:11:00.002-08:00

And thank you 2013 for all the blessings ! May the Universe created by God continue to shower upon us abundance in health, love for our fellow men and always the gift of giving!

It is the year if the horse starting January 30! Good vibes rock!

Living Star Wars

2013-04-22T03:14:00.001-07:00

Speedrun (Ep #3): Star Wars

nice! i hope my son learns how to program a cartoon/video maker like this.. he can do a lot creative stuff with software such as the one used in creating this clip

Living and Opportunity

2013-04-15T03:15:00.001-07:00

Out of clutter find simplicity, From Discord Find Harmony

In the Middle of Difficulty, Lies Opportunity.

--- Albert Einstein

Living Vapor Trails

2013-03-29T01:55:00.002-07:00

Could it be true that other than this innocent looking vapor trails from a passing jet, some form of chemical/s are released from the sky by not so well-meaning people?

And for what use? I shudder at the thought and the possibilities..

My grand children were observing these vapor trails slowly dissipate in the sky one sunny and windy afternoon..

Living Aya's Moon

2013-03-29T01:37:00.002-07:00

Yoya Look Moon

Yoya (Lola) look.. moon..

Little words from my small grandchild.

I wonder does she think it's a dot in the sky? Or something that one can touch given a very tall ladder?

Someday she will learn that man was supposed to have reached and landed on the moon just about the time her Lola started her freshman studies in college.. i am sure to her, that would seem a long, long time ago.