Brown Soul

I cant help my self but to have hope every time I visited a blog or a site of a Filipino working or studying abroad but yet still proud of her country! Like “Cat’s Walks” who’s living and working in Switzerland.

How many Filipinos will say the same thing:

“I have embraced European culture without losing and being ashamed of my own …I will always be proud of being Filipino and I will always promote the Philippines and our culture. I hope that someday more Filipinos will do the same.”

Check the original source here: www.catswalk.com

I’m suppose to post this article next week but I can’t help my self but to post it now as my way of appreciation and gratitude to her for loving our country kahit nasa lugar sya ng mga banyaga!

What is so special about Beijing Olympic? What is so special about the Bird’s Nest? America has at least 7 stadiums that are as big as or bigger than the Bird’s Nest.

Like what they’re saying,

What makes Bird’s Nest so unique is not the size but its Chinese identity. It is not European, it is not American… It is Chinese! Bird’s Nest is a Chinese soup delicacy, which costs at least $30 a cup. It is created by a certain species of bird that creates a nest with its saliva. What is amazing is HOW FAR and HOW GRAND the Chinese can attach meaning to something as ordinary as soup. It’s like creating a stadium and then call it “Sapin-sapin” or “Burong Talangka.” But no brilliant Pinoy architect has ever risen to promote our indigenous culture and express it NOT with “barriotic-ness,” but with a jaw-dropping, state-of-the-art facility like the Bird’s Nest.

The names of our stadiums are bereft of meaning and creativity: ULTRA, AMORANTO, ARANETA… Our theatres, convention centers are also meaningless: CCP, MERALCO, METROPOLITAN, FOLK ARTS, PICC. There is one theatre named in Tagalog, Lisa Makuha’s ALIW theatre. But just the same, no national identity. Just cute names.

Singapore’s Esplanade whose design was taken from a popular fruit among the Singaporeans—with the best varieties in fact, being grown in the Philippines (Davao): the odorous Durian. In the Philippines, Durian is considered the king of the fruits (Arancillo and Native are the best! How about Durian coffee? I love the taste) But to Singapore, Durian is an icon of culture, progress, civilization. Same with Bird’s Nest, it is so symbolic of Chinese culture.

F. Sionil Jose was right: “We are poor because we are poor.” There is a greater poverty that inflicts us, and it is the poverty of the soul.
Let’s not be surprised if the Oxford Greek Dictionary today defines the word “Filipina” as “domestic helper.” As Jose Rizal sharply pointed: “There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.” We cannot find the Dragon in us, because we think like slaves and therefore we are treated as one. Sikat tayo kapag halukikip tayo ng puti. Hindi tayo makatayo sa sarili nating mga paa—lagi na lang tayong nakasabit sa laylayan ng mga banyaga. We cannot have the will to empire because we are contented with dole-outs and free-loads. Mahirap makahanap ng dragon sa Pilipinas. Continue...

Im browsing my old friendster account and found this article. actually i posted it Dec. 15, 2005. and i don't even remember the original source, sorry for that!i want to share it with you.

The Blog before the Blogs

One problem I have is that here I AM outside of time, and these web pages automatically put a date on the entry. I could override that—I AM God. But I think you readers are sharp enough to know that if I said “Today I surprised Moses and made a bush burn in front of him without burning up,” the day I’M talking about would be a long time ago to you…even though the entry might read August 21, 2005.

Part of the problem I have with communicating with humans is this whole “time” thing. Today I AM chatting with Moses and today I AM speaking to James McDaniel who was born in 2021 and is praying for his mother right now.

That’s why I called Myself I AM. I was even watching some of you read this…before it was typed.

I know that whole concept throws some of you off balance. If you need to feel more comfortable, just imagine you are in a Hitchcock movie, The Twilight Zone, The Matrix, or maybe even Shadows in Time. (If you’re reading this before the year 2008, then you don’t know of that last film yet.)

The fact is, I started and finished all of these blogs before the word blog existed. I just had to wait till you had the word and the concept before I put them in the brain of someone in your century and had him put them into words.

Basically I’M entering into your blogdom because somehow the rumor got started that I was kind of boring.

For those of you who bought into that craziness, you should know that I’M the one who created all the stuff you love…all the stuff that makes life exciting.

I invented funny,
and laughter.

I created ADVENTURE
and Romance.

I even came up with the concept of c o m m u n i c a t i o n .

I can communicate across the world in nanoseconds (without intel inside).

I know your soul, and what makes you happy and sad.

So, I plan on dispelling some of the misconceptions about who I AM…and painting a new picture of Me…just for you.

And maybe I’ll paint a new picture of you…(one that you haven’t seen before).

Some of My blogs will make some of you laugh, and others of you will think I’M weird.

I AM.

Some of you laughed at that. Some of you would laugh if I said you had to get the blog out of your own eye before you can remove the spec from someone else’s.

Some of you have no idea what I’M talking about.

I continue to speak through lots of people and circumstances, but this will be a unique way to show some who think I’M old and outdated that I AM still relevant.

Because… hey… I’M a blogger. Continue...

18 -total number of call centers, big and small, now operating in Davao City,according to Eriberto Baringa Jr., vice president for external affairs of ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) Davao, Inc.

Php 11,000- plus average starting salary of a call center agent in davao City, according to Ms. Nanette O Del Monte, liaison officer of the Business Process Out Sourcing Association of Davao,Inc. (BPOADI). the amount is competitive, considering that call centers in other locations outside Manila, offer lower starting pay.

93- percentage of reduction of traffic accidents in intersections since the start of Davao City's traffic signalization program, according to Celso "Popo" Gempesaw of the Traffic Management Center.

1,000- number of vehicles including public utility vehicles, registered by the Land Transportation Office every month in Davao City. the number covers only vehicles registered for the first time, not renewed registration.

source:
Edge Davao Continue...

Why Infant Stimulation is Important

Recent advances in brain-imaging techniques have proven what researchers have said for over twenty years: an infant's environment has a dramatic affect on brain development.

In the first years of your baby's life, the brain is busy building its wiring system. Activity in the brain creates tiny electrical connections called synapses. The amount of stimulation your baby receives has a direct affect on how many synapses are formed. Repetitive stimulation strengthens these connections and makes them permanent , whereas young connections that don't get used eventually die out.

These first years are a very important and pivotal time for a developing young brain. This intense period of brain growth and network building happens only once in a lifetime. We as parents have a brief but golden opportunity to help our babies stimulate the formation of brain circuitry.

Here are some fascinating facts that researchers have discovered:
• Babies have a biological need and desire to learn
• The foundational networking of the brain's synapses is nearly complete after the rapid brain development of the first 3 years.
• The more stimulating experiences you can give your baby means the more circuitry that is built for enhanced learning in the future.
• Babies have a definite preference for high contrast images.
• The amount of connections in the brain can increase or decrease by 25 percent depending on the environment and stimulation.
• Visual stimulation can produce developmental advantages including enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration.
• Your baby's best toy is you! Interact with your baby as much as possible!

Things you can do to stimulate your baby:
• Love. First of all, remember love and affection are very real needs. Your baby is never trying to manipulate or control you, she simply has a biological need for your love...never deny her your tender affection. This unconditional love also creates a strong self-esteem and increased development of brain circuitry.
• Talk to your baby often with a kind voice, a wide range of vocabulary, and a lot of expression. Your voice is her favorite sound (she has heard it since before she was born).
• Respond to your babies requests (interpreted cries) without hesitation. This teaches her that she can communicate with other people and gives her a strong sense of trust and emotional stability.
• Touch your baby. Researchers discovered that premature infants that were massaged grew faster, cried less, and were released earlier from the hospital than those who weren't.
• Encourage imitation. Your baby is constantly analyzing you and figuring out ways to mimic your voice and facial expressions.
• Let your baby experience different surroundings: go for walks, take her places, show her the sites!
• Let your baby explore different textures and temperatures (not too extreme, of course). Provide a safe environment for your baby to explore. She also needs time to discover things for herself.
• Read books: even though your baby can't follow the story, she loves the pictures and the sound of your voice.
• Play music for your baby (Mozart's music has been found to stimulate the same neurons in the brain that are later used for mathematics).
• When you get frustrated because your baby keeps dropping objects or pours the box of cereal on the floor, remember, she is trying to figure out how the world operates

Btw, don’t forget to pray for your kids! Continue...

A lawyer died. At the same moment, the Pope also died. They arrived at the gates of heaven at the same moment. They spend the day in orientation, and as they're getting their heavenly vestments, the Pope gets a plain white toga and wings, like everyone else, and the lawyer gets much finer apparel, made of gold thread, and Gucci shoes.Then, they get to see where they're going to live. The Pope gets what everyone else gets, a replica of a Holiday Inn room, and the lawyer gets an 18-room mansion with servants and a swimming pool.

At dinnertime, the Pope receives the standard meal, a kosher TV dinner, but the lawyer receives a five-course meal including caviar, prime rib and chocolate truffles.

By this time, the lawyer is beginning to suspect that an error has been made, so he asks one of the angels in charge, "Has there been some kind of mistake? This guy was the Pope, and he gets what everyone else gets, and I'm just a lawyer and I'm getting the finest of everything?"

The angel replied, "No mistake, sir. We've had lots of Popes here, but you're the first lawyer we've ever had." Continue...

I heard this article last August 18 in one of the Life Coaches of EWC. And I tried to get the full article. And I found out that originally it was from a lady named pinkdxbchampange. Just thought of sharing it. So here it goes…

Over a thousand Filipinos arrive in Dubai every month. And why not?

Literally, the sun shines here all year round; prosperity is in the air; and it's a place where people have reasons to dream of waking up in the morning as millionaires or with kilos of gold on their lap!

Yun nga lang, habang hindi pa nangyayari yun, iba ang nakikita ng maraming Pinoy pagdilat nila sa umaga — kurtina! Sideways…sidesteps Hindi yan dance step. That's the latest move ngayon sa mga sharing flats. Sa sobrang liit ng space, patagilid ang galaw. Kaya minsan, mga ka-flatmates, hindi na magkakitaan. "Hoy, where have you been, ba? Hindi ka na umuuwi sa flat!" Kasi nga lagi silang naka-sideview!

Warning: Smoking is dangerous to your room.

Yes, naunahan ng Pinoy ang IKEA sa innovation na yan — Yes, styrofoam walls, styrofoam doors, styrofoam room. Di ba nga naman, styrofoam keeps you fresh! Para kang gulay, o kaya ice candy. Pero siguro mas feel mo minsan na 'tuna' ka, o di kaya 'sirena' kung feel mong si Claudine ka.

"Ate, di ba fire hazard yan?" "Anong fire hazard ka dyan? Rent ang mas nakakamatay dito!"

"Illegal ang partitions sa Dubai. At least ang styrofoam, pag nagkahulihan, mabilis sa baklasan. Gets mo?!!!" "Yes, Ate."

Therefore, 'no smoking': ang sirena baka maging daing!
 


Burj Al 'Cupboards' 
 
Hindi lang Emaar Properties ang may 'K' na magtayo ng skyscrapers? Haven't we heard, the Philippines is a major supplier of architects in Dubai? In other words, nasa dugo natin yan! Kaya ba ng Arabong gumawa ng rooms out of cupboards, luggages and shoe boxes
Dati sa airport lang bida ang mga luggages, ngayon multi-purpose na: dividers na rin sila — para ang isang kwarto maging lima!

Pampataas sila sa mga cupboards kasama ng mga shoe boxes na pinaka-antenna.
Siyempre, the taller the better — you keep your neighbor's eyes away.
 


Now Showing
 
Pagpasok ko ng flat, akala ko sinehan, ang daming kurtina. Mga kuarto pala. Pero ang cute, cinematic!!! Parang barangay, complete with skinitas. Kada bukas ng telon, parang movie — sari-saring life. May natutulog, may nag-eemote, may nka-curlers, may nakasimangot. Sa panlimang kurtina, may nag-totong-its, sa pang-anim, may naggugupit.
 
Ang gandang movie, di ba? "Ang Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina!
 
Paraisong Kurtina 
 
Ayyy!
Our Paraisong Kurtina. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry.

Be proud of our Paraisong Kurtina. It exists because we'd rather send our money home than spend more for our comfort. Within its walls, lies our desire for a little privacy, our groans, our tears, our dreams, our struggle for some little savings. My curtain says a lot. It says, "I have saved again, inay; I'll be able to send money next month"

Dream mo pa bang pumunta ng Dubai ???

Mag isip-isip…

As I listened to the talk given By coach Jane Q. from Dubai I can’t help my self but to reflect and uttered a prayer for them…sa mga kababayan natin who work hard just to support their families. Then the situation of our country…sigh! Continue...

This post is just a repost from my other Blog just want to share it with you

Yesterday I posted about our “kababayan” in the Middle East entitled; "Ang Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina!
 
Paraisong Kurtina.” Now let’s go to Singapore!

Today’s issue of Inquirer (Lifestyle section) talks about Singapore-based Filipino artists.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Philippine-Singapore diplomatic relations in 2009, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and art group Siningapor mount an 11-man art and photo exhibit inspired by the Filipino diaspora.
What is life like as an overseas professional worker? And what is it like to live in Singapore—what are the things that you choose to see as a tourist, and those that you are forced to deal with as a resident?

In an art exhibit titled “Siningapor,” Singapore-based Filipino artists tackle issues such as migration, cultural identity and the resilience of Filipinos who have left their country to work abroad. They delve into the reality of living away from their home country.

Eleven artists, all full-time employees in the creative field, use painting, mixed media and photographs to express their own take on the Philippine diaspora and how the confluence of different cultures affect their identity as Filipinos
A well-known Tsinoy scholar, who was in Singapore a few weeks ago for an important academic convention on Oversees Chinese population, lamented how all the good editors had left the country.

She agreed the Philippines was becoming unconducive to work in, especially for writers because the industry didn’t pay well and had so little respect for the writer and the journalist. That’s just some of the reasons-albeit compelling ones.

The exhibit is curated by journalist-editor James P. Ong. Who also said that;
“Filipinos, more than anyone, have become global citizens. In this day and age—especially for Filipinos who work overseas—there’s not just one home. We work abroad, we assimilate into the culture of our host country, but we retain our Filipino identity.

That Filipino diaspora and issue of self-identity is what we are tackling in an art exhibit on Aug. 17.”
He also talks about the “Brain Drain” that’s happening in our country.
“Another question I am asked often is if Singapore has changed since the last time I lived here. A lot, I say. It’s like an entire generation has grown up and taken over.

Singapore has become a hub not just for the techies but also for the creatives. When I was here seven years ago, many of the Filipinos I knew were either working in the architectural/interior design industry or IT.Nowadays, with the S-Pass visa for mid-level skilled workers, there are a lot of Pinoys working in the hospitality industry (and this number is expected to increase sharply when Singapore opens its first-ever casino and a Universal Studios on Sentosa Island in 2010). There are also several Pinoys holding influential positions in magazines.

The inevitable question, I guess, is, Why the brain drain? A well-known Tsinoy scholar, who was here a few weeks ago for an important academic convention on Overseas Chinese population, lamented how all the good editors had left the country.
She agreed the Philippines was becoming unconducive to work in, especially for writers because the industry didn’t pay well and had so little respect for the writer and the journalist. That’s just some of the reasons—albeit compelling ones.

Top liveable city
But it’s not just Filipinos going to Singapore for a better job. The 21st century is all about Asia and China. Even foreigners from First World countries are moving here to work and resettle their families in the region.

The influential Monocle magazine, for the second year running, has named Singapore as one of the world’s Top 25 Liveable Cities and praised it for having “leapfrogged to First World status in barely two generations.”

First-World pay
Other Asians who work here like the idea of getting first-world pay. According to the Ministry of Manpower, the average monthly wage for a proofreader alone is S$1,500 and S$8,500 for an advertising creative director.Those who hold permanent resident status can send their children to a local school for as low as S$15 a year, and enjoy around 65-percent subsidy on health care. These are the benefits being given by a government that is sincere in wanting to take care of its nation’s population.

RP needs direction
Singapore is intent on becoming a major power, and it is doing something concrete to achieve that. Singapore has a master plan, and it is following it. That’s one thing we ourselves need to do as a nation and as a people: Acquire foresight and discipline. Filipinos already have the talent and skill, we just need a good leader to give us direction.”

Source:
www.inquirer.net
“Siningapor” will run Aug. 18-23, 12 noon-6 p.m., at the Photographic Society of Singapore Gallery (30 Selegie Road; Selegie Arts Centre, 180030. Tel. no. 65-6334 3361) Continue...