Sembrano Climb takes its toll of a female climber

Sembrano Climb takes its toll of a female climber
July 31, 1999 ni Di Makapili

A Special Report on the Scene of the Climb

Sembrano took a toll of a female climber in an expedition last 26-27 July from 4:30 PM to 12:30 noon the following day in this isolated mountain range occupied exclusively by this group on that stormy, windy weekend. Climber was said to be a seasoned one, a professional marketer and cook, a capable climber, master prober and host and an affiliate of an umbrella organization whose identity will remain to be anonymous to protect her interest and reputation. Climber was reportedly housed in isolation and has not reported for work for the past 2 days (Monday and Tuesday). She claimed to have spent her day at home washing and cleaning her tent with repeated attempts in inducing burping to throw up.

The Pililia local police were checking the whereabouts of 5 male climbers of varying personalities and interests who were reportedly seen with the female from the start to the end of the trek particularly in the dark moments nearing midnight Saturday under the intermittently bright new moon. An investigative team was dispatched at the scene of the crime at about 500 M ASL North East of Mount Sembrano overlooking Magbitac and Siniloan. Noted was a patch of lot with orderly bended cogon grass in about 2 X 6-meter dimension. Perpetuators were reportedly neat operators, as they “left no trace” except for some signs of road widening and trail damages. It looked like a body was dragged down from the socials area to the camping grounds.

Cleared was a male climber in a black TNF backpack. He was apparently the organizer of the expedition as he coordinated all timing arrangements, food plans, transpo and trail tracing. Sufficient proof was presented that he was alone in the tent under the mango tree during the probable time of the incident while the rest of the expedition group was having a good time at the socials.

Authorities were looking forward to see the prints of the photo coverage taken from a professional Nikon camera and a high tech advanced photo system device simply branded as IXUS II Canon.

Also tracked for possible leads were two other male climbers who decided to forego participation in the trek at the last minute. One claimed to have suffered a broken spinal column and the other claimed to have scheduled laundry chores. Police are still checking at the submitted medical report. The other climber though could not present freshly washed laundry. These two demonstrated strong interest on the whereabouts of the climb. Climber with back problem immediately asked to highlights of the climb from the Mindanao born participant and from the leader. Climber with household chores particularly asked how the female climber was.

Bribery was present. A participant from Angono Rizal who was among those under the heavy influence bribed everyone with a fried itik (roasted duckling), a specialty of his hometown apparently to silence the witnesses. Two probable incidents he wished to be erased were the dragging and road widening and the missing tent door.

Other questions that needed further probing were:

1.  Could it have been done by the two non-drinkers as their judgment were not impaired?
2. Who was with the female climber up to the last moments when she was picked up at 7-11 Cainta Sunday afternoon?
3. What was the motivation for the late Friday night calls between the female climber and the two other climbers who opted not to go?
4. Could this not just be the handiwork of the female climber who wanted to get national prominence from the weekend? Or did she want to catch somebody else’s attention?
5. Could the female climber simply be making everything up to gain back the attention of her climbing friends who based on her own admission were all unavailable that weekend?
6. Why was this Cainta-based climber extra nice to the female climber even preparing coffee that late in the morning?
7. What secret ingredient did this non-drinking climber in the sinigang broth place? Could it have been the stimulus that kept the action going?
8. Was the leader really cleared? Or he staged an early retirement when mission was already clearly accomplished?
9. Who is this bespectacled climber who claimed no knowledge whatsoever on this climb and yet was scheduled to visit the scene of the crime on 31 July?

A hearing was set at Albertos in F. B. Harrison Pasay at about 8 PM Wednesday 28 July to expedite the resolution of the case and to schedule the next climb that is, if clearances and permits will be issued to them.
CMC Press 31 July 1999

A Tribute to Writers and Photographers

Who would you like to climb with?
A Tribute to Writers and Photographers

On the practical side, it is fine to have a cook, a navigator or an organizer in a climb. These tekkies have the equipment and the skills. They can get you to the destination alive and on time.

It is different when you climb with friends who you know so well. There is no more need for an alignment as you know each other’s capabilities and weaknesses. Without prodding, you are confident of support no matter what. It is bring you own specialty: your tent, his cookware, my transpo, his stories. So in matters of life and death you are emotionally assured that someone will be there for you.

What if we climb in a company of artists? The type who sees through life and freezes the moment in a medium that articulates a universal theme of beauty, pain, joy, creation and even defeat and frustration. Their medium is usually in words or images through articles and photographs, music and rhyme that land its way through the world wide web even before the post climb. Their works satisfy our spirituality.

Given a choice what type would you rather climb with? The practical tekkies can satisfy you for the moment. Friends can further enhance the moment. But the artist can preserve the moment to eternity. Through their documentation, they immortalize the experience.

As for us, we are fortunate that the artists we’ve been with are responsible climbers too. Without their permission, allow us to unlock the archives. We value them as E. L. Doctorow says “The writer isn't made in a vacuum. Writers are witnesses. The reason we need writers is because we need witnesses to this terrifying century.”


Halcon Float by Mitch Soria

Perhaps the reason they shoot and write is they have something to say. Henry David Thoreau describes it in this quote “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” When you are touched by the wonder of nature, wouldn’t you do so?  You would with the adjectives and figures of speech flowing spontaneously.

Read for yourself.

Chito Razon 9 Oct 2003


Halcon Profile by Mitch Soria

By Nameless of LM after the Tawangan-Babadak Climb in 1998 who up til now remains nameless to us

Awful you might think. This may sound like a cop out answer but let me share with you this idea. Life isn't really about what you get out of it in the end, it pays more attention to what you may become at the end. Those ten things are a small sacrifice of what we truly became after the climb. The experience, the process is even more important . . .

The groups have shared more than just misery, but also the multitudes of stories (even beer too). As we leave the climb, it is taken for granted that the 8 mountaineers have brought their own personal relationship with each other to a new level, a "I survived Mt. Pulag in 1998 with you" level. And though it is unsaid there was the existence of these phrases unsaid in words but understood in action. "You were my support. You gave me strength to calm myself. We don't master the mountain we master ourselves." One really has to be a different kind of person to climb mountains and keep on doing it.


Banahaw Sunrise by Norbert Calderon

So there was no heavenly view from the mountaintop but the trek were full wondrous things that make Mt. Pulag beautiful. The "natural highs" of the mountain were bountiful. If the peak was not so fabulous, there are many other instances when the world revealed a part of her beauty. Like the rivers would tirelessly chant their song and though the wind and rain were biting, they performed a gorgeous dance for all that could look up to enjoy. A favorite part is not on the peak but towards both the peak and the campsite-one is gifted with sight of rolling hills. And it's mystical wonder and one cannot help but absorb the radiant aura of nature only Mt. Pulag could reward one with.

Apo Float by Norbert Calderon

And there something's that would not have been as good without the trying parts of the climb: Jaja's pasta dinner on the plateau, riding the top of the jeep, eating lunch on a jeep breaking bread and eating meat, being passed around. Eating Pizza and ordering water. Returning to love ones for a brand new year.

The climbers are also entitled to having one wish being granted a gift for climbing the mountain that is a pilgrimage. I wonder what the eight goofy Loyola mountaineers asked for to prepare them for the year to come.


Jo Ramos on our first climb in Tapulao in 1999
Maligayang pagbati, mga kasama kong bundokero
Hindi ko akalain na makagawa ako ng tula. Alam ko kasing me mga kanya-kanyang mga write-up na sa Tapulao. Ito na lang siguro ang kontribiyusyon ko.

TAPULAO
Jojo Ramos

O, hinanap kita, Tapulao

Ang puso ko ay walang tigil sa pagsigaw
Pilit kong ikaw ay matanaw


Kahit na lubos ang aking pagkauhaw.

O, bakit nagkaganito, Tapulao

Ako ay pinag-iisip mo araw-araw

Ubos lakas ang aking mga galaw

Ang puso ko ay iyong inagaw.
O, yakapin mo ako, Tapulao
Sa magdamag ako ay gininaw
Ako ay umaasa ng pananaw na may linaw
Upang ang ganda mo ay lumitaw.
O, sige na, Tapulao
Hintayin mo ako sa ibabaw

Kung ano man ang dapat kong galaw

Ang sigaw ng puso ko ay ikaw.

Val Roque describing the same climb

High Peak was one helluva climb but one cannot say that it was a bad one either. For with the hardships come the rewards. Some of us may be sadistic enough to admit that the hardships are the rewards themselves. Others may see the reward at the wonderful experience at the peak. Still, a lot would agree that the rewards could always be found in the company of others especially in the socials and the drinking and chattering that come with it. A few however see it on the sidelines, contemplating the beauty of the outdoors in peaceful solitude. We climb mountains for different reasons, but let these reasons not be an obstacle to our common love for the outdoors. For as mountaineers, that is the important thing which binds us.

The Tirad Pass Trek with AOC

Chasing Water by Ching-I-Wang

At the start we were in the company of strangers. Towards the end we knew each other, linked not by the devotion to the gallantry of the general to his cause but for the love of the wilderness. Discovering this in one of the most interesting socials, we counted our blessings: the hospitality accorded us by the folks of the town, the reception and the merienda of the mayor and his staff, the assistance of our high school hosts, the stories of the Bulacan artists who are to do an on-the-spot drawing, Hob our jeepney driver and the company of fellow trekkers and the grandeur of sunrise and clouds. There were all testaments to the goodness drawn from each one by the experience. We said we wanted to get away. But to quote John Muir, "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out 'til sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in . . .

Bob Tongco in describing the discovery of a new place

We were lucky to finally be able to reach the highest point on the island. The lessons I learned on that climb will never equal the sheer exhilaration of reaching the summit after a challenging ascent. The quiet on that mountaintop was as rare as the clean air and the brisk, cool wind. On the way down, the weather was as perfect as the climb, the company, and the memories of the weekend spent away from the world. I would wish that more exciting events happened while we were at the summit, but nothing could have been more exciting than sitting down and absorbing nature.

Marinela De Leon stepping on Mt. Pulag

At the plateau, I was greeted by a truly enchanting sight. Mountaintops peeked through thick fogs, rain swept grass trembled with rushing water below and the sky seemed so close I could almost feel them. The world was at its best. Everything was virginal-untouched and unsoiled by the trivialities of mortals. Silence brought the mighty voice of nature and plunged my soul in deep reverie. I was in a magical place with a group of people who offered me friendship and shared with me a deep love for the mountains. What more can one ask for?

“This was paradise,” I said to myself.

“This is why I want to climb mountains,” I murmured.

And as my weary body sought solace from the pristine beauty that enveloped me the howling winds blessed my shivering body and warmed my soul.

Going up the steep slopes, getting muddied, being battered by the rain and the wind and humbled by the beauty of my Maker’s creation is the affirmation of my life-giving mantra-Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
I am glad I made this climb. . . even if I’m not Super Girl.

Aiel Vergara reveals his realizations on a near tragic Minalungao trek

Terrace Float by Danny Balandra

"Sometimes, I think of why I do this, why I hike, losing my energy and face only challenges. That may be it ¬ challenges, or it could be desire, or it could be the great and satisfying feeling of success. Having the faith to achieve what I thought I could not, to live when I think I’m dead, and to get to the highest peak and shout “I am the king of the world.” These thoughts, these simple rewards, these dangerous moments are my inspirations and my motivations. They stir me to do daring acts, possible or not.

I won’t sit here awaiting my baptism; I will live life to the fullest; work as if there’s no tomorrow and learn as if life is endless. My existence will have an impact on this world, and I will continue surviving until I assure that.
I was born July thirty, nineteen ninety-nine."

Aiel Vergara writes about not reaching the peak of Pulag in a composition redefining success

"Should we continue our journey to the peak? Do we want to be successful?"

Arthur, barely able to move his lips due to the extremely low temperature, said, "No matter what, we must all be together." Paul, guilty but at the same time drained of energy, replied, "No, go on. Just come back for me here."



Fallen Leaves by Mitch Soria

The group of six high school mountaineers then divided into two, with both looking for the coveted triumph. Having a very strong desire against failure, Duke and I went together towards the peak, our definition of success. We walked, ran, jogged, dived on grass, and, finally, up there, we stood up. I stared at the camera as it flashed while a question floated in my mind, "Am I victorious?" I looked up, and there was darkness; looking down, I saw a hint of light, probably from the setting sun. Fulfillment was absent from my mind. I was captured by the image of Paul's lips, by the picture of the setting sun.

I called Duke and down we went, through the flooded terrain and through the darkness of the night. Yet, just as the black abyss was to replace our hope with despair, we saw a flash of light.

"Paul! Are you okay?" Duke and I cried in unison. "We're really very sorry!"

"Here, Paul," I said removing a layer from my clothing, "take my best jacket."

"Thanks," replied Paul. "By the way, maybe you should know that we just finished praying the Hail Mary when we saw you."

At exactly that moment, I listened to the most ear-breaking silence I ever heard. I looked down, and there were a lot more to see besides tall, evergreen blades of grass fading in the fog. Right then and there, I felt the emotion of fulfillment; success was redefined.

At the roof of the world, in my (tochs') mind

Originally posted June 2003

From your posts, Everest interests you. Which is your favourite so far? BBC featured their version of the 50th Anniversary which I caught on BBC news last Sunday 1 June 2003 at 5 PM. True to a BBC production, it is well documented and thought provoking. Earlier, National Geographic and Discovery Channel aired their own specials commemorating the first step on the roof of the world 50 years after 29 May 1953. Watching several points of view of the various TV docus, I picked up some lines which have been repeatedly said in other versions.

The more I hear of the line "it was Hillary who planned it out as a mountaineer and Tenzing was just that, “a guide”, the more I am convinced that Tenzing really was the first mortal to step on Everest. I have been researching on the cause of his death but the closest I got was he died in India in 1983. It must have been the remorse of the burden of truth that put a pressure on him. Sir Edmund had his share of misfortune. It was tragic to lose his wife and daughter in same range that made him a knight in 1975.

When I repeatedly catch the thought, "the only common times with these guys were the ten minutes they were together on the summit," the more I am intrigued, "what did the majestic mountain do to them?"

Just for this year, let me list quotes I could relate to honouring our own accomplishments with our tropical climbs here.

Q: What words would you use to describe your feelings about Mount Everest?
A: Alive, humbling, unpredictable, exhilarating, empowering.

Q: What words would you use to describe your feelings about the Sherpa people?
A: Hardworking, joyous, loyal, thoughtful, my dearest friends.
-Liesl Clark writer/ producer/director on the filming of Dark Side of Everest

Larawan ni Rico kasama si Sir Edmund

Lorraine: Explain to me a sherpa's approach to mountain climbing compare to how we see it from the west?

Jamling: The mountains have been there the whole time. Sherpa's see the mountain all the time but we never have interest to climb these mountains. It was only when the British and the foreign expeditions started to climb these mountains that the sherpa started to become involved in climbing because it is a way of living for them. And for most of the sherpas, climbing is the bread and butter, lots of them have lost their lives. We don't climb for pleasure at all. We believe most of the mountain is sacred to us. For example, Mount Everest, we called it ''Chomolungma'' which is mother god-ness of the world. And ''Miyolangsangma'' is the deity that resides on Everest so we pray to her all the time. We pray to many of the other mountains surrounding, you know in the Himalayas...

Lorraine: Jamling, would you ever consider stopping mountain climbing, getting a regular job somewhere?
Jamling: I don't think so; I mean I don't see myself sitting in office 9 to 5 at all. And I just enjoy being in the outdoors, climbing mountains. I have stopped climbing Everest but smaller mountains I still continue to climb. Just like being in mountains... it makes me feel so nice, it makes me feel really alive and it makes you feel how small we are in this world, how fresh we humans are. It's great feeling just being up in the mountains.
- CNN's Lorraine Hahn interviews Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of Tenzing

I think the expeditionary experience of climbing Everest, of surviving it, has changed our lives. To push yourself to within a wisp of life itself and return to the world in the valleys below is to see life in its raw immediacy and in its essential components.


For me to receive a hearty congratulations from Jamling Tenzing Norgay was the true finale. Our two families have been transformed by this mountain.


The mountain has given us a hard-won opportunity to rise above ourselves and to play the lottery of surviving the experience. Just as it has done for the Sherpa people who live around its lofty base. And veteran climber Ang Norbu of Pangboche Village says that despite his frostbitten fingers, "the mountain is a jewel. It is a gift".

-Peter Hillary on climbing Everest for the National Geographic Documentary Sons of Everest 50 years (actually 49) before his father Edmund first reached the summit

The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is no use'. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behaviour of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use. So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.
-George Leigh Mallory, 1922

Because it is there.
-George Mallory (1886-1924), answer to the question 'Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?'

I have climbed my mountain, but I must still live my life.
-Tenzing Norgay

Well, we knocked the bastard off!
-Edmund Hillary, on first climbing Mount Everest

30 Liter Pack

A practical consideration in selecting a day pack for a day tour is size. In Europe where snatchers are said to be common, security feature is a must. When the weather is unpredictable, versatility is an advantage. If you hop from one mode of transport to another, you want one that is durable. Should you lug your pack for over a week, you want comfort too.

Days before leaving, I was scouting around for a day pack at the Habagat and Sadugo stores and even at Hawk shops. But nothing was close to the old Lafuma Yakou III 30 liters I found. Sandugo’styles were too fancy for an urban walk; Habagat did not have the stocks.

This 30 liter pack held my soft shell breathable and waterproof jacket which was handy with the sudden downpour and the sudden drop in temperature, a semi pro camera, Lonely Planet Books, pocket French and Italian dictionaries and train maps, cell phones, extra shirts, portable power supplies, literature and shopped items. At times when the occasion called for formal outfit, dress shirts can be inserted. For hydration, a liter of water in an aluminum bottle was indispensable.

Zippers were tough and had handles with holes that can be inserted with a portable keyless lock.You can zip in and out several times an hour without a snug. Compression straps were added security to me. Material was made of ballistic which was light, durable and waterproof. Lastly, even with weights of miniature replicas of the popular landmarks in stone were packed, the shoulder bag held.

But at the end of the trip, this compact back pack had to be rolled. By airline standard, it was a count so it had to be packed inside a bigger soft back pack. Eventually, the Habagat day pack I have been using in most of my trips still prevailed.

Tropang Rad-yo Septic Tank

Tropang Rad-Yo sa DZUP reviewed Ang Babae sa Septic Tank in their Friday 7-8PM show featuring anchor Jane with guest reviewer Chryl with a qualifier, they do user review where insights of mainstream viewers are expressed (as compared to critics’ review.)

Their one hour review kept me glued at 1602 AM band while driving from Manila to Q as the assessment of the Marlon Rivera and Chris Martinez’ movie was in itself building up to a climax.

First 10 minutes were devoted to warm ups on anything trivial by the two radio personalities. Then they provided backgrounder on the writer, director, Cinemalaya and nature of indie film in general until they narrated the storyline of Chris’ story without revealing and spoiling. Towards the end, the two reviewers expressed their personal experiences as viewers capping it with a short tribute to the actress Eugene Domingo.

Like a professional radio show, they were extro and intro spiels breaking the segments. Intros were devoted to topline summaries of key info about the topic designed to set up currently tuned in on what transpired and tp those newly tuned in to be on board the discussion.

Unlike other Tropang Rad-Yo sa DZUP days where Jane was dominant, aggressive, unstoppable and even rowdy drowning out her male co-anchors, she is cool, intimate and conversational effectively engaging her radio listeners. Whenever her movie expert partner Chryl speaks, she would fade out giving the serious reviewer the air.

Review was informative, engaging because it was substantial and intelligent. It made you appreciate the storyline, twists, intent and effective segments of the movie which was assessed as deserving of the critics’ recognition of the movie.

It was also because the movie selected for review was insightful assessed by two intelligent hosts who saw beyond the seeming mainstream drama to the statement of the artists’, a dig on indie and on the artist themselves.

(By the way, the listener has only seen the movie preview but plans to enjoy watching the film eventually.)

2011 Top Graduates Generation X

Last summer this year, I had the chance to work on recruitment from the top 150 graduates of 3 engineering universities in GMA, UP, Ateneo, La Salle and Mapua.  A simulation was designed by the company head which can draw out critical thinking, ability and leadership in a group exercise in just an hour with fellow graduates grouped at random.

Having been out of touch with the youth segment for decades, I was impressed with the showing of  the participants which can surpass the standards of even the most seasoned professional practitioners.  It showed from their methodology the training and discipline they received at the academe, their skill to problem solve, work together as a team, and formulate a workable solution within the give time.

Over the weekend this rainy July, I watched Dulaang UP's staging of an original play Rizal X.  Interpreted in drama, contemporary song and dance and multi-media, play conceived and directed by young theater genius Dexter M. Santos translated Rizal's disturbing thoughts on the state of Philippine society 150 year ago to its applicability to the Generation X in today's reality.

Through an intense and consistently highly energized actors' performance and dynamic staging, Rizal X conveyed the message which I interpret as "Aspire and dream regardless of the obstacle.  You the youth are better prepared to grasp that dream without compromising."

The 2011 top graduates and production cast and crew of Dulaang UP modeled that doability to us.  In these challenging times these experiences bring a whist of fresh air, hope and a reminder to strive excellence in every way every day.  This is the mindset that will leapfrog us to the next level which Rizal pictured to us a century and a half ago.

Visiting the UP Diliman Campus

I returned back to the UP Campus in Diliman to secure from the Registrar’s office my and my sisters' transcripts of record who graduated several decades ago.

The feeling was nostalgic following application procedures, filling out forms, tracking steps and paying at the cashier. It brought back memories of deva ju remembering the same landmarks at the campus.

The experience was pleasant as the frontliners I’ve encountered have strong service orientation starting from the valet at the UP Admin office, the female guards at the UP Admission office and Cherrie, the frontliner handling the Transcript Window.

1st I found out that the Registrar’s office was no longer at the Admin building behind the oblation but along T. M. Kalaw about a hundred meters behind the AS Faculty Center. The valet near the oblation correctly gave me directions on how to reach the area.

At the Registrar’s office at the 2/F of a relatively new edifice, there were adequate information on forms and processes on how to go about the request. Since I was the only applicant that morning, Cherrie behind the glass counter attended to my inquiries promptly, politely and quickly. She probed for some compliance to checklist before committing to the release of the transcripts.

To my pleasant surprise, the published 2 to 3 month processing waiting can be shortened provided conditions are met such as clearances, correct data and applicants’ academic status. It helped that the original documents are in place, online data are updated, clearances were accomplished and the staff was well informed and customer centered. I was shown the class cards, some forms with my signature, college handwriting and photographs which flashed back my cherished recollections of college where I enjoyed learning immensely anything that comes my way.  I looked forward to attending each class everyday because there were new discoveries per session.  I recall having no absences including military training in my 4 year education.

That short 15 minute visit at the campus made me feel good and proud to be an alumnus of the university in spite of the impending Typhoon Juaning projected to hit Metro Manila early in the afternoon.

I enjoyed my college because education then was my life and nothing got in the way for me to get the most from it. For this, I am grateful to my parents.

What is beyond Malasimbo?

What is beyond Malasimbo? I would ask that question each time we climb that mountain off Puerto Galera in Mindoro. Itchy feet pinoymountaineer discovered in a dayhike there are two other mountains beyond. Danger lurks.

Rome and the Fil-Italia

Rome is home to thousands of overseas Filipino workers mostly domestic helpers.

Tagged as today’s heroes for their contribution in driving the Philippine economy, they to me symbolize industriousness, risk taking and sacrifice. They leave home for a better future not for themselves but for their family.

Our hosts, active in embassy activities exposed us to several social gatherings where families enjoy simple gathering, sampling Italian and Filipino food and playing familiar Pinoy card games.

Almost all can speak Italian, their kids speaking as fluent if not sounding real Italian. You would hear success and a lot of sad stories mainly related to health and domestic issues.

Gladly, there is a Filipino community bonded to provide simple assistance if possible. Like instructions on how to go to the airport, how to remit money with minimal surcharges, how to ship cargo to loved ones in Batangas, Tarlac, Samar and other provinces and the most popular concern, the status of my and my families Italian citizenship.

We see them in groups and in pairs, in the park on a Sunday afternoon, in a debate at a downtown bar, mass held at the Coleggio, a dormitory of Filipino priests studying in Rome in buses, train terminals and literally everywhere.

There appears to be no traces of loneliness in their faces as they enjoy the privileges, amenities and the Italian lifestyle.

One thing Cecilia and I experienced, they are more than willing to help co-Filipinos. On our 1st independent train ride where we were figuring out which was North and South, a young man in his twenties from Leyte came to our rescue. He narrated his success stories and diversions to keep him busy. He even willingly took our picture together. When I asked if I can take his picture, he politely declined saying, “Huwag na lang po!”

Storyline

I caught Part Two of  Raymond Manalo's story in Storyline on ANC Cable 27 Thursday night. Still saying the same story, he is psyching himself up for a face to face with the military this July.

Supplementing the story are cases of missing activists picked up in Mindoro and in Los Banos Laguna. King Catoy narrated the Mindoro incidence.

How do your struggles at work and with friends compare with theirs?

Related story posted in Bikyamasr.

In the time of your life

Watching Barbara Streisand's 2006 concert on video, these passages said as an intro to the song A Cockeyed Optimist caught my interest. Quoting from the proloque of the playwright William Saroyan, the message reminds me "to live, not adding misery and sorrow but smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it." At times I do, some times I get derailed.  Posting the passage encourages me to "find goodness everywhere . . ."

In The Time of Your Life

 In the time of your life, live—so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.

Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unworthy of the clear eye and the kindly heart.

Be the inferior of no man, or of any men be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. No man's guilt is not yours, nor is any man's innocence a thing apart. Despise evil and ungodliness, but not men of ungodliness or evil. These, understand. Have no shame in being kindly and gentle but if the time comes in the time of your life to kill, kill and have no regret.

In the time of your life, live—so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.

-William Saroyan

Go drink and cleanse yourself with the water from the spring.

Lining up inside the building

 “Go drink and cleanse yourself with the water from the spring.” This was the message of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous in the apparition at Lourdes in 24 February 1858. It is interpreted as “to redeem salvation, accept and ask for forgiveness and repentance.”

Today, the grotto continues with the symbolic ritual at the actual apparition site resulting in documented miraculous cures and spiritual renewals.

Per Celeste’s influence, I bathed with spring water, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon within the set window time. Temperature range was 19 degrees Celsuis in the morning, slightly warmer in the afternoon.


Gave de Paul River

The long line I expected with mostly physically handicapped Europeans was not there but nevertheless it took me still over an hour from the entrance to the exit. The wait was sufficient to prepare oneself for the cleansing through guided prayers and personal reflections. There were four major phases to the bath: the snake and ladder chairs at the entrance, the line inside the building, the assigned ante room where one strips his clothes and the tub guided by 3 assistants. Instructions were posted in the walls in several languages; French, Italian, English.

While bathing in the cold spring water, one prays and expresses intentions. Key is belief and conviction. Seeing the physically challenged, hearing the repetitive prayer and jolted by the dip in spring water deepen this conviction.

Stations of the Cross at the open field

My first experience was out of curiosity slowly transforming from observing to releasing and accepting. I walked out of the site feeling light, thinking with refreshed clarity. I cooled down walking around the vast open field reflecting on the event. During the bath, I was tense and did not completely dip myself, thus the motivation to return.

For the 2nd bath in the afternoon, I was better prepared with more intentions and a stronger belief. In the line, I was seated beside a young black European who looked serious. I also spotted several physically handicapped both young and old waiting for their turns just like us. We completed the ritual in about an hour.

Just like the 1st experience, after the bath. I wandered around the Grotto complex covering up the Stations of the Cross in the nearby hills feeling fulfilled for going through the healing session.


Train Station

Five hours later, we were to board our train to Paris at the Gare de Lourdes, the train station just 5 minutes away from the grotto by taxi.

Ten hours later, we were at the Gare Paris Austerlisz station transitioning from provincial to urban France.

Less than an hour later via taxi, we were at Val d ‘Europe Serris, France checking in at the Residhome Prestige, an accommodation our colleague Ma. Carmela booked just hours ago in Lourdes.

At the reception, I noticed a young black European who entered the staff area of Residhome, got his cleaning equipment and started doing his chores. The young man quickly stared at me. In my mind I asked, “Have I seen him before?”

Residhome Lobby

Minutes later, in a private conservation at the rest room of the Residhome, it was validated that he was with me in Lourdes.  He did not speak English.  I was interpreting his reply with non verbal communication and key phrases.  I eventually learned that his name was Oscar and has been visiting Lourdes for a personal intention.  What it is was was not clear to me.  What struck me was the incidence of me side by side with a stranger, riding in the same train and going to the same place.

I would have probed further the impact on Oscar. But in the succeeding days, I no longer saw him as other personnel had taken over the shift.

Candle Offerings

This to me was a mystery unmistakably attributed to Our Lady of Lourdes. No longer was this trip merely a physical exercise but a spiritual journey. Slowly after realizing the intentions getting fulfilled, my belief on what intercessions can do has been getting stronger.

Now, whenever I recite in my daily prayers “through the intercession of Our Lady,” I pray it with conviction because in Lourdes, I was blessed with the power of this bridge.

 

 

 

























Dry Ice

I discovered a way of bringing your favorite fruit ice cream for pasalubong when you travel by air abroad. Not from the stalls purchased at the pre-departure area in Manila but packed by yourself.

Buy a styrofoam built cooler from your supermarket ( P220.0), select 2 gallons of premium ice cream (Ave. P330.0). Load it with 3 kgs. of dry ice sourced from a specialty shop (P 150.0 per kg.) Total weight though is about 7 kgs. (Still testing if the current ratio can support the 8 hour transport time.)

Best source of ice cream and styropore is any hypermart operating at extended hours (Shopwise). Source of dry ice is My Way Dry Ice picked up in a Pasay apartment (Tel 551-0377 24 hour operations). Total estimated cost P 1,400.  Pleasure? Immeasurable.

I track flight departures and arrivals from anywhere in the world at www.flightstats.com

Places for the 1st Time

There are places I remember. Places I see for the first time I remember even more. Historical and memorable ones leave an impression influenced by what I see and how I interact with the people I meet.

Feel of Pescia and Luca at the Tuscany Valley is remote and provincial. People are warm. It is here where we meet Irishmen, an Irish mother, Italians, courteous young Italian driver, Filipino-Americans, Bicolanos and co-Filipinos.

Lourdes is solemn and sacred, Vatican City revered and venerating. Rome is vibrant and historical, Milan modern and fashionable. Paris is proud and busy.

I have been controlling my pre-judging but the visual images registering in my mind were so imposing I could not resist but write short narratives about these great cities and places, begging to be revisited and to be seen again. View if the pictures register.

The Language Survival Kit

The challenge of travelling to non English speaking countries is communicating.

Lonely planet travelers who do not patronize travel tours put themselves at risk by plotting their own routes. Yet, surprisingly they manage. One with an inquisitive mind who is direction oriented can survive with key words.

In Italy, the basics I could not do without are:

“Boungiorno. Mi scusi. Per favore. Dov’e un termini? Dov’e? Grazie. Chiao!”

Bwon∙jor no. mee∙skoo zee. Per fa∙vo∙re. Do ve u termini? Do∙ve? Gra∙tsye.

In France where the citizens have the distinction of a strong pride for their language, I survived with:

“Bonjour . Excusez moi/Pardon. S’il vous plait. Ou est Charles de Gaulle Estoille? Ou est? Merci. Au revoir!”

Bon∙zhoor. Ek skew zay mwa/par∙don. Seei voo play. Oo ay Charles de Gaulle Estoille. Oo ay? air see. O rer vwa.

In Tagalog, the translation is:
Magandang araw po! Makikisuyo. Saan po ba ang MRT station? Salamat po! Saan? Babay.

Caught in a problem I’d say“ Aiuto! in Italian (a yoo to!), Au secours! in French (o skoor!). Saklolo in Tagalog. Then help comes along.

Through these, I am able to see the wonders these 1st world countries brag about. “Chiao. Au revoir. Paalam.”