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Sunday, February 03, 2013
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Saturday, February 02, 2013
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tochsr (@tochsr) tweeted at 4:49 PM on Sat, Feb 02, 2013:
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(https://twitter.com/tochsr/status/297627745150705665)
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Sunday, January 20, 2013
Familiar with this?
4 weeks in transit to a US addressee.
It did not fail in surprising recepient.
Some forget where their mail box is.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Training That Matter
Faced in critical situations, what prompts one to cross over to overcome are not skills and competencies but personal values. Values are deeply rooted principles that mold our character manifested in our behavior. Training programs that influenced where I am.
Professional
11. Achieve Global Professional Sales Coaching. Effective Coaching Conversation. Transferring skill and competency to an associate
Personal
1. Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Effective Leaders. Defining personal mission. Make the self-independent, working interdependently leads to greater results
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| Nephew from the tropics learning how to make snow balls |
2. Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership. Leaders’ awareness that for every situation, there is a corresponding leadership style based on competency and motivation level
3. Appreciative Inquiry. 4Ds to reach the destination from Discover to Dream, Design and Destine
4. Heroic Leadership, a personal self-transformation program from me to a leader to a leader with a cause
Professional
5. Performance Management System, how to drive a business unit to a high performing unit through the 5 elements of performance management system
6. Cross Functional Performance Management System, a simple approach in driving a business units' performance to a high performing unit
7. Ateneo Regis MBA Program, a condensed business management course to develop leaders in driving the organization
8. Team Building. Mission Vision Setting. Change Management and 4S Assessment. A transformational course to align people to a common goal. Values and drivers are identified that lead to the vision
9. 4 Disciplines of Execution. Score card setting to drive results from the execution. 1. Focus on the Wildly Important 2. Act on the Lead Measures 3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard 4. Create a Cadence of Accountability
10. Leadership Summit. Assessing how we are as leaders who have an important task guided by a plan with not enough time to achieve results
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| Visualizing a dream |
12. Collaboration for Value. Working together starting with understanding customers’ needs and working operating model can lead to deeper satisfaction. Connect. Create. Align. Execute
13. Glendinning Negotiating Skills. Transition from negotiation to a structured commercial selling
14. 6 Sigma. Quantitative based productivity measure communicated in structured format
15. DDI Service Plus Beyond Customer Expectation. Presentation Skill Certification on service orientation
16. Basic Call Procedure. Persuasive Selling Format. Most effective and simplest planned sales call to sell in and to close a sale
16. Basic Call Procedure. Persuasive Selling Format. Most effective and simplest planned sales call to sell in and to close a sale
As I picked up from the Coca Cola System Leadership Summit, all these build up to leadership. “Leaders have an important task guided by a plan with not enough time to achieve results. They are fact based measured by a handful of controlling objectives. When faced with a quasi-crisis, reserves show up to complete the task. Leaders look to the future with optimism.”
Friday, January 04, 2013
Welcoming 2013 Online
2013 was welcomed not by fireworks or partying but by viewing celebration in the city and elsewhere in the world on cable TV and online.
This was encouraged by the aggressive awareness campaign mounted by the Department of Health on the dangers to life by explosives.
It was jump-started when the Twitter I sent to field reports Ryan Chua and Bam Alegre who were reporting new year preparations and situationers in their respective field assignments for their TV news networks were retweeted back with positive comments.
Covering the Divisoria beat on 31 December, I sent Bam a message giving feedback on his report on prices and fruit sourcing that "price fluctuates because of change in source cost" to which he sent quickly an appreciative reply.
Extensively
covering the PNP’s confiscation of illegal explosives to welcome the New Year
in GMA and nearly province I asked, “paano nadedestroy ang confiscated
firecrackers?” which was not mentioned in the field report, I got an immediate
reply “binabasa.” When I commented on the manner he answered to the probe of
news anchor Howie Severino if “Luneta was a no smoking area,” he acknowledged
“oo nga di ko nasagot ng maayos” and mentioned the constraints why smokers
violate.
Doing the anchor for “The World Tonight” end-to-end and at times nervously and in some segments probing questions to fire officials, I tweeted Ryan Chua “My 1st time to see you anchor end-to-end. You held on.” He replied back positively with “Thank you. Hope to do better next time.”
Close
to midnight on the eve, through online I found myself in all the crowded places
in GMA, in Luneta with thousands of crowds through Bam Alegre and Ces Drillon,
in the GMA at the Mall of Asia celebration through Mark Salazar, in Eastwood
for the more elitist crowd. Earlier on I was in Sydney, Australia. Later on
that day I was in Japan, Taiwan, London, China and in the Times Square in US.
With
the advent of faster communications and superior sound and sights system, it is
difficult to discern the live from the technically sourced.
But what was real is online brings you to places and more information quickly. Nothing beats though the intimacy of face-to-face engagement.
Here is to an exciting and fresh start this 2013.
Fotos from BBC News
This was encouraged by the aggressive awareness campaign mounted by the Department of Health on the dangers to life by explosives.
Covering the Divisoria beat on 31 December, I sent Bam a message giving feedback on his report on prices and fruit sourcing that "price fluctuates because of change in source cost" to which he sent quickly an appreciative reply.
Doing the anchor for “The World Tonight” end-to-end and at times nervously and in some segments probing questions to fire officials, I tweeted Ryan Chua “My 1st time to see you anchor end-to-end. You held on.” He replied back positively with “Thank you. Hope to do better next time.”
Close
to midnight on the eve, through online I found myself in all the crowded places
in GMA, in Luneta with thousands of crowds through Bam Alegre and Ces Drillon,
in the GMA at the Mall of Asia celebration through Mark Salazar, in Eastwood
for the more elitist crowd. Earlier on I was in Sydney, Australia. Later on
that day I was in Japan, Taiwan, London, China and in the Times Square in US.
With
the advent of faster communications and superior sound and sights system, it is
difficult to discern the live from the technically sourced.But what was real is online brings you to places and more information quickly. Nothing beats though the intimacy of face-to-face engagement.
Here is to an exciting and fresh start this 2013.
Fotos from BBC News
Saturday, December 22, 2012
UP Concert Chorus Korus 50
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| Concert Poster |
This once-in-a-lifetime event is a gathering of star-studded alumni and members of the university choir performing ”hits, religious songs, show-stoppers and grand numbers captured” in 9 segments in 3 ½ hours.
Each segment intends to capture the spirit behind the batch
and era starting with a strong opening building up to a grand finale. Segments are memorable, carefully crafted
to say a story ending with the house joining the talents on stage singing Handel’s Hallelujah and UP Naming Mahal. Transitioning to the next batch is a slide
show featuring the group on tour, in a performance, on rehearsal accompanied by
a recorded soundtrack. Highlights are
described in poetic lines written by UPCC alumni Raul Castro.
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| Program Souvenir Cover |
This anniversary creation directed on stage by Alexander Cortez pays tribute to the individual talents that make up the choir, their group, the college, the UP institution, the country moving up to the world, music in general and to ultimate almighty.
50 decades of music in a night with Egay Manguiat,
Jai-Sabbas-Aracama, Ramon Santos and Kitchy Valedellon-Molina taking turns
conducting the choir. For that brief moment
when UPCC was singing, heaven must have opened up to let their music in.
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| Programme. Click to enlarge |
God gifted the members of the UP Concert Chorus with
talents. With their sterling performance
in UP Korus 50, they have returned the gift to the creator.
Links picked up from youtube.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The National Parks "Morning of Creation"
Four months after I viewed the 1st 5 of the 6 episodes
of Ken Burn’s The National Parks, I finally got hold of the 6th and
final episode entitled “The Morning of Creation 1946-1980.”
This series in high definition that runs for over 12 hours
chronicles the creation, struggles and challenges in sustaining America’s 58
national parks and monuments with documented videos and visuals as early as 1872.
In the final episode, filmmaker Ken Burn and writer Dayton Duncan feature Mission 66, an infrastructure boost to cope with the increasing park visitors now reaching 62 million a year, Adolph Murie, a biologist with a radical view and approach to wolves and predatory animal treatment, the conversion of Alaska’s 56 million acres to state protected land said to be the largest expansion in history and the challenge facing the 21st century.
As in the previous episodes, “The Morning of Creation” shows
video documentaries, old and digital photographs, historical newspaper
clippings, poetry and quotes from stakeholders, historians, government
officials, relatives and writers matched with appropriate landscape sceneries. Ending dramatically with statements from ranger
park superintendents, writers and by others touched by the experience of the
national park, the film left an impression that all the struggles in the past
were meaningful because their children in visiting the protected national parks
today had the same feeling their predecessors went through in the infancy stage
of the national parks creation. The
parks now have been creating memories for them lasting for a lifetime. They did so because the park preserved nature,
history and their identity. The scenic
sights and sounds only sensed at the park have been reconnecting the past with
the present.
The final message is appropriately left for John Muir which perhaps is the driver why we need to preserve parks because . . .“One
learns that the world, though made, is yet being made, that is still the
morning of creation.
This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
This series in high definition that runs for over 12 hours
chronicles the creation, struggles and challenges in sustaining America’s 58
national parks and monuments with documented videos and visuals as early as 1872.In the final episode, filmmaker Ken Burn and writer Dayton Duncan feature Mission 66, an infrastructure boost to cope with the increasing park visitors now reaching 62 million a year, Adolph Murie, a biologist with a radical view and approach to wolves and predatory animal treatment, the conversion of Alaska’s 56 million acres to state protected land said to be the largest expansion in history and the challenge facing the 21st century.
As in the previous episodes, “The Morning of Creation” shows
video documentaries, old and digital photographs, historical newspaper
clippings, poetry and quotes from stakeholders, historians, government
officials, relatives and writers matched with appropriate landscape sceneries. Ending dramatically with statements from ranger
park superintendents, writers and by others touched by the experience of the
national park, the film left an impression that all the struggles in the past
were meaningful because their children in visiting the protected national parks
today had the same feeling their predecessors went through in the infancy stage
of the national parks creation. The
parks now have been creating memories for them lasting for a lifetime. They did so because the park preserved nature,
history and their identity. The scenic
sights and sounds only sensed at the park have been reconnecting the past with
the present.
Towards the end, writer Terry Tempest Williams posed a
call, “I think the challenge of our national parks in the 21st century
will be the challenge of restoration. And not only are the national parks a gift but a covenant. They’re a covenant with the future saying,
“this is where we were, this is what we loved and now it is in your hands.”
 |
| Poster from the Sierra Club John Muir exhibit site |
This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
After viewing the 1st set of episodes, I extended
invitation to friends to view the film with me.
Completing “The National Parks,” I now extend the invitation to plan and to go and see
the parks with me.
Photos lifted from http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/parks/Saturday, December 15, 2012
89.5 Trekkers on 8-9 May 1999
89.5
Trekkers on 8-9 May Making a Lava Lounge Out of the Pinatubo Base Cause Another
Explosion!
All were intrigued by the place as site of massive destruction:
Pinatubo from the volcano eruption and Capas, our jump off town associated with
the Death March. The heat of up to 38°C on our way to the crater
Saturday potentially fatal to our delicate brown skin, the lava river trail, destroying our
shoes and our soles, brand new or borrowed.
The laughter we brought is our contribution in inducing
life. Through the roaring noise,
heckling, chasing, socializing, drinking, we were acknowledging to the 89.5
climbers, awake, or asleep or pretending to be asleep, the wasted and the
unused that we are very much alive. Crashing Mt. Pinatubo also meant renewal-our renewed interest to nature,
to our respective clubs, to the federation, to our selves. Just like the new greens sprouting at the
sides, the wild trees growing near the crater rim and the wild insects building
their habitats. The clothes, food and
other functional items we donated to the Aeta community are our seeds to this
renewal. There is always that company
of 89.5 whom we will remember in time as the fertile ground for new
friendship. Nothing more can better
dramatize facing a new life through the Happy Birthday song we dedicated to
Shah that Sunday. If we just get the
message of the gift of life, that to me is the biggest explosion of the
weekend. Simply it says, thank you we
are alive.
Put in 89.5 trekkers of various orientations and aggrupations. Of different clubs, age groups, sexual
preferences, religions, drinking beliefs, eating patterns, trekking styles, geographical
locations and nationalities, speaking tongues. From the silent, to the normal to the dominant, humble and the
makukulits. Backpackers, trekkers,
hikers, rock climbers or mere
walkers. Pediatrics to
geriatrics. Bankers, computer
specialists, to students to out of school youths. Retiring climbers to beginning climbers. San Marcelino to Katipunan, Luzon to Mindanao.
Baliuag, Guiguinto, Valenzuela to
Tarlac, Ayala, Binondo, Pasay, Fairview. Add a TL, a trail master, an ex-club president, a host in a dark suit as
heavy as a single man's tent, a song number, getting to know you. What do you get? RIOT in LAVA!
From a simple climb planned by Globe Adventure Club Founder
Regie Pablo and Chito Razon of PALMC last April 1999 to drag Jon Linao,
ex-president of MESAU out his computer, the event turned into a monstrous,
unforgettable climb of the millennium.
How could this not turn out to be a grand climb? It promised Mt. Pinatubo, the world-renowned
volcano notorious for distorting the climate system in Asia and in the world
starting 1991. It came after the MFDI
federation climb successfully organized by UPM that set the foundation for the
bonding of most participants. Banny
Hermanos of PAL MC whetted our appetite with his surreal slide
presentation. Lakbay TV through its
Balikbayan narrator Roel Torres showed us repeatedly on Cable TV that the
crater is reachable, even with his
physical condition. Richard
Rebada, ex-president of MESAU completed the trek this year and volunteered to
lead the way. Rolly Villanueva, president
of PNB Mountaineering Club brought his 22 strong delegation. Butch Sebastian, MFPI President recognized
the event. Lastly, weather cooperated-no
strong rains in the past few days.
The climbers themselves were no ordinary climbers. Most completed the Balbalasang Federation,
went through a tune up climb the week before. Majority have gone to Halcon, Guiting-Guiting, Napulauan, Tawangan over
the past few months. Youngest was Shab
which accounts for the 5 counting. He
turned 3 last Sunday. Eldest was Martin
Chambers, a marathoner from New Zealand who is nearing the 60’s mark. His incredible performance and behavior in
the socials make you think he certainly is a lot younger.
All were intrigued by the place as site of massive destruction:
Pinatubo from the volcano eruption and Capas, our jump off town associated with
the Death March. The heat of up to 38°C on our way to the crater
Saturday potentially fatal to our delicate brown skin, the lava river trail, destroying our
shoes and our soles, brand new or borrowed.
Nothing stopped the climbers from appreciating the
weekend. Richard, Ronald and company of
MESAU alumni pre-arranged guides and jeepney rides. Chito handled administrative requirements through contact leaders: Regie
for Globe, Rolly and Elmer for PNB, Jon and Jessie for MESAU, Jojo Cadungog for
PAL, Teddy for Marco Polo, Jaja Reyes and Jenny Atienza for Loyola Mountaineer. Participants showed up at Capas Public Market
before the targeted 8 morning departure. For many, it was their first time to see
this market place. Jeepney ride
completed the travel up to the kubo reducing our trekking time. The 5 hour trek to the campsite was reduced to
a mere 2 ½ on the way back. The dreaded
socials just happened spontaneously. What happened next was simply deafening.
Weekend was an enjoyable one perhaps because we were
celebrating and thanking. Celebrating that
we were spared of death from the destruction that emanated from our trail sites
and thankful that the signs of life are beginning to show at the crater and at
the ridges. The hot lava waters are
supplemented now with mineral waters flowing near the base of the crater. Green leaves are thriving at the mountain
ridges. Sounds of insects hover in the night. Best, there is laughter at the site.
The laughter we brought is our contribution in inducing
life. Through the roaring noise,
heckling, chasing, socializing, drinking, we were acknowledging to the 89.5
climbers, awake, or asleep or pretending to be asleep, the wasted and the
unused that we are very much alive. Crashing Mt. Pinatubo also meant renewal-our renewed interest to nature,
to our respective clubs, to the federation, to our selves. Just like the new greens sprouting at the
sides, the wild trees growing near the crater rim and the wild insects building
their habitats. The clothes, food and
other functional items we donated to the Aeta community are our seeds to this
renewal. There is always that company
of 89.5 whom we will remember in time as the fertile ground for new
friendship. Nothing more can better
dramatize facing a new life through the Happy Birthday song we dedicated to
Shah that Sunday. If we just get the
message of the gift of life, that to me is the biggest explosion of the
weekend. Simply it says, thank you we
are alive.
-Chito
Meeting MESAU in Pinatubo-Repost
MESAU 30 Years of Passion and Advocacy
ADAMSON University Keeping the Legacy of Hope and Service
Congratulations to MESAU on its celebration of its 30th anniversary. Under the leadership of incumbent president Orven Honofre, it will cap its celebration with the 30th climb in Pulag this December after having climbed 29 mountains as of 15 December 2012 since the start of the year.
Founding members from the College of Architecture shared with the incumbent batch the early years building the club starting with a memorable wall in the San Marcelino st. as the claimed private space of MESAU. Started by a group of fun-loving, street smart students 30 years ago, Demi Abarguez and Jimmy Memjie recalled their 1st climbs which was the 1st time they gained acquaintance with each other, how they were perceived as a noisy, rowdy group by the more established clubs as UPM, PALMC, USTMC which eventually allied with them, how they learned the ropes of climbing by mere climbing and not by the rigidness of training and knowledge by reading. During their time when they were eventually recognized by the school, a favorite priest would support their climbs by providing financial subsidy and recognition as the club carried the school name. The tradition of climbing Pulag after Christmas started in the early 80’s and was carried on by the succeeding batches. Disclosed too were the close encounter with the military in Pulag when they were mistaken as rebels threatening their lives with armalites poked at their faces. Food related anecdotes were brought to the forum by former presidents such as the “abodo” spilling incident of their packed lunch to a Bacolod bound co-passenger in barong tagalong and the spaghetti meant as a group food in Tupperware that rolled down in the soil and eventually eaten as it nothing happened. Like typical post climbing stories, chronicled too were the make shift equipment for instance framed back packs and casual outfits like maong and how they fared compared to the highly technical gears of this generation.
Dear Lord, Teach me the things that are important: To be generous with Your gifts, Compassionate to those who have less, Just in the face of unfair circumstances, True when the world's values contradict my own, Gracious when things don't go my way, And magnanimous when they do. May nothing else matter Except Faith in Your goodness, my neighbor's, and mine, Hope that things can get better, And Charity that always set things right. May Your special Love for the Poor, The mark of my uniquely Vincentian education, Be the work I excel in, The standard I constantly refer to, And my courage when I meet You someday. With Mary, our Mother, and St. Vincent de Paul, Amen
Fotos courtesy of Jun de Vera and Jon Linao
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meeting MESAU in Pinatubo
May 9, 1999 in Weekend Fun
You’ve heard about them. You must have encountered them in your regular weekend climb or in a jeepney ride from Maculot, Majayjay or Siniloan.
In the campsite, you will most likely spot them in a circle passing
clear distilled looking liquid in a small glass. They stay in this position the minute they
reach the flat land until early dawn or they’re down whichever comes first.
They say this socializing is what sets MESAU from other groups in their campus, other camps and in the federation. To them this is the tradition which is a non negotiable pre-requisite to membership for 15 years.
So when Viper of PNB put in his formal suit and long pants to signal
the start of That’s Entertainment, it was socials to the max. PAL MC had an
unexplainable presence that night: Aldo Velasco heckling with guest TJ, Joey
Verzo explaining his new civil status, Dom Goduco recalling his college days,
Jojoy Cadungog contemplating his retirement days, Bond Abad restaging his
sacristan days, Jojo Ramos, Juno Moncada with Danny Moncada and Larry Honoridez
simply wondering what’s going on, Barry Barcelo with Jun Timbol just enjoying
and Chito quietly behaving. The place
changed overnight. Mount Pinatubo turned to Barangay Ginebra.
As they was no imminent difficulty and danger the next day, socials
went on and on up to early morning until no MESAU was left standing. The loud
laughter started to fire at 8 PM, reached its peak towards 11 and slowly faded
out before 3 AM.
Pinatubo was an exploration. The morning after, the mission was done. We explored Pinatubo, met new acquaintances: faces now have names, names match with faces, set new socializing and drinking levels and understood the “E” in MESAU’s initials, the Exploration Society.
Soon, on some other time, in some other place, we hope to explore too Globe Telecoms beyond Regie and Martin, PNB beyond Rolly and Viper, MESAU beyond Ronald and Richard, PALMC beyond Chito, Jojoy and the rest, Loyola beyond Jenny and Bosch beyond spark plugs.
The theme of its pearl anniversary is “30 years of passion and advocacy”, interpreted as its strong desire for climbing mountains and the outdoors and its support to the causes for the environment, group camaraderie and the uplift of the medical conditions of the marginalized in remote areas accessible only by mountaineers. The anniversary program as in the previous years provides windows for members and alumnus to give testimonies on what the club meant to them. Witnessed by about 50 guests at the Rothman Hotel along Adriatico st. in Malate, young female applicants and members described the fun in getting together and climbing with the club. More senior member Paul Salvacion recounted the learnings and the discipline imparted by the climbs and the club and how it helped build confidence and competency facing the real working world.
Founding members from the College of Architecture shared with the incumbent batch the early years building the club starting with a memorable wall in the San Marcelino st. as the claimed private space of MESAU. Started by a group of fun-loving, street smart students 30 years ago, Demi Abarguez and Jimmy Memjie recalled their 1st climbs which was the 1st time they gained acquaintance with each other, how they were perceived as a noisy, rowdy group by the more established clubs as UPM, PALMC, USTMC which eventually allied with them, how they learned the ropes of climbing by mere climbing and not by the rigidness of training and knowledge by reading. During their time when they were eventually recognized by the school, a favorite priest would support their climbs by providing financial subsidy and recognition as the club carried the school name. The tradition of climbing Pulag after Christmas started in the early 80’s and was carried on by the succeeding batches. Disclosed too were the close encounter with the military in Pulag when they were mistaken as rebels threatening their lives with armalites poked at their faces. Food related anecdotes were brought to the forum by former presidents such as the “abodo” spilling incident of their packed lunch to a Bacolod bound co-passenger in barong tagalong and the spaghetti meant as a group food in Tupperware that rolled down in the soil and eventually eaten as it nothing happened. Like typical post climbing stories, chronicled too were the make shift equipment for instance framed back packs and casual outfits like maong and how they fared compared to the highly technical gears of this generation.
Past presidents such as Bart Bartolome, Rayan Reyes, Jon Linao, Jun De Vera, Queen Roma Pegarido, Jon Anista were recognized by the club for their contribution in keeping the club alive up to this day. Highlight of gatherings as in other mountaineering clubs gathering was the slide showing prepared by the organizing committee of MESAU in 2012 on how MESAU demonstrated it passion for climbing and advocacy. MESAU will undoubtedly cross its Golden (50th) Anniversary in December 2032 because what it does is consistent with the core values of the school inculcated to its students, “Adamson University-Keeping the Legacy of Hope and Service Alive."
 |
| A guest of MESAU with Past President Jon Linao. Foto by Jun de Vera |
An Adamsonian Prayer
Dear Lord, Teach me the things that are important: To be generous with Your gifts, Compassionate to those who have less, Just in the face of unfair circumstances, True when the world's values contradict my own, Gracious when things don't go my way, And magnanimous when they do. May nothing else matter Except Faith in Your goodness, my neighbor's, and mine, Hope that things can get better, And Charity that always set things right. May Your special Love for the Poor, The mark of my uniquely Vincentian education, Be the work I excel in, The standard I constantly refer to, And my courage when I meet You someday. With Mary, our Mother, and St. Vincent de Paul, AmenFotos courtesy of Jun de Vera and Jon Linao
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meeting MESAU in Pinatubo
May 9, 1999 in Weekend Fun
You’ve heard about them. You must have encountered them in your regular weekend climb or in a jeepney ride from Maculot, Majayjay or Siniloan.
They say this socializing is what sets MESAU from other groups in their campus, other camps and in the federation. To them this is the tradition which is a non negotiable pre-requisite to membership for 15 years.
In Pinabuto Trek they listed 22 participants. 7 from the alumni with their Xs present. Call
them the 3R’s: Richard, Ronald and Raymond. 8 from the incumbents led by their
perpetual student and another X Jon. Then the missing 7.
You know the novice from the hard cores-the alumni in their daypacks,
the students in their full packs. Again, a tradition they say.
What really are they? Not very
different from the 67 other climbers. They
take their tasks seriously. See to the
delivery of the basics as the jeepney rides, guides, trails, campsite and the
return pick-ups. But the difference is,
they all show up in the socials and stay.
Socials had the formula to be a hit:
· There was quorum. After the group dinner and
small socials, everyone just gravitated to the big circle to await what’s bound
to happen.
·
Guests were open. Everyone gamely introduced
himself or herself, associated with PAL, MESAU, PNB, Globe Telecoms, Loyola,
Dennis, Omar, Jessie, Jenny, Jaja, Val, Chio, Joel, Elmer, Popoy, Regie, and
Ronald. Lady trekkers gamely put in a romantic angle for the night.
·
There’s entertainment: Intros by Bong of PNB,
song and dance by Viper and Henry, magic by Rolly, rated x night show of Martin
Chambers, CD music by TJ and inspirational messages from the AETA guides.
·
Important to MESAU and to the others, stainless
in various forms and sizes.
Pinatubo was an exploration. The morning after, the mission was done. We explored Pinatubo, met new acquaintances: faces now have names, names match with faces, set new socializing and drinking levels and understood the “E” in MESAU’s initials, the Exploration Society.
Soon, on some other time, in some other place, we hope to explore too Globe Telecoms beyond Regie and Martin, PNB beyond Rolly and Viper, MESAU beyond Ronald and Richard, PALMC beyond Chito, Jojoy and the rest, Loyola beyond Jenny and Bosch beyond spark plugs.
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