Tag Archives: anniversary

Seven Years

18 January 2017

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Seven years ago:

1. The original iPad was introduced by Apple. This revolutionized our use of tablet computers.

2. The tallest man-made structure, Burj Khalifa in Dubai was officially opened. It remains the tallest building to this day.

3. The XXI winter Olympics was held in Vancouver, Canada. One of the highlights was Canada beat USA for the gold medal, in an overtime game, in men’s ice hockey.

4. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake occured in Haiti, devastating the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. With a confirmed death toll of over 316,000, it is the seventh deadliest on record.

5. Toy Story 3 was the top grossing movie of the year. It earned more than $1 Billion worldwide.

6. The commercial space flight project SpaceX successfully launched its Dragon capsule. This became the first privately created spacecraft to successfully return from low-Earth orbit.

7. The blog Pinoy Transplant In Iowa was launched. Though it is not as earth-shaking as the events I mentioned above, yet it is significant for me. This blog is still going strong.

I read in an article some time ago that the average life span of even a top blogsite is only 33.8 months. That is less than 3 years! It is also reported that the average life span of a blog is short, as 60-80% of bloggers abandon their blog within a month. I must be doing something right then.

I know we humans have a short attention span. We lose interest quite quickly. We may be engrossed in one thing today, but tomorrow we will be off to chase some other fancies.

Even in television shows, a TV series reports that most of the show even if they are a hit, last 4-5 seasons. After season 6 it is on a decline. And 7th year is like the zombie years. I hope that will not be the fate of this blog.

Last year, this blog site was visited more than 50,000 times, just like the year before. Though Philippines has most of the hits, with America a far second, this blog has been read in more than 130 countries. I am really humbled and grateful to all of you my readers (majority are not bloggers) who continue to visit this site.

I hope I can stay relevant, as I continue to blog away. I know I have not earned a single dollar from maintaining this site, and I intend to keep it that way, as your visits, likes and comments are enough to keep me going.

Again to all of you, thank you very much.

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Sinampalukang Pangarap

10 February 2016

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Sinampalukang manok. Pinangat na tilapia sa kamias. Sinigang na bangus sa bayabas. Ginataang santol. Alam natin ang mga ito bilang Pilipino. Alam din natin na kahit maaasim ay masasarap ang mga ulam na ito.

Pero nakarinig ka na ba ng Sinampalukang Pangarap? Masarap din ba ito? O maasim?

Noong nakaraang buwan, ako’y nag-balikbayan at nag-balikpaaralan para dumalo sa pagdiriwang ng aming 25th graduation anniversary mula sa UST College of Medicine and Surgery.

Dalampu’t limang taon na nga ba ang nakalipas? Parang kahapon lamang ito. O hindi ko lang matanggap na matanda na talaga ako, at nag-uulianin na.

Ang tema ng aming selebrasyon ay: “Mundi Dottore*: From Tamarind Dreams to the World.” Sa madaling salita, sinampalukang pangarap.

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Ang temang ito ang napili dahil ang UST raw ay nasa Sampaloc, Manila, at marami sa aming mga nagsipagtapos dito, ay nagsipangalat sa iba’t ibang lupalop ng mundo. Para sa akin, na tunay na lumaki sa Sampaloc, at nagmula sa isang simpleng pamilya at pamumuhay, ay talagang naaangkop ang “sinampalukang pangarap.” Mula sa uhuging bata ng Sampaloc na nakarating sa kabilang dalampasigan ng mundo.

Marami-rami rin sa amin ang nanumbalik at dumalo sa selebrasyong ito. Kung saan-saan ang ang aming pinanggalingan. Mula sa iba’t-ibang bahagi at iba’t-ibang isla ng Pilipinas, at mula rin sa iba’t-ibang sulok ng ibayong dagat. Kasama na ako rito.

Totoo, bago mag-reunion, ay naging sabik akong makita ang mga dating kaklase na naging kaibigan at kasangga sa anumang pinagdaanan, sa hirap man o ligaya. Kamusta na kaya ang mga kumag?  Ano na kaya ang kanilang racket ngayon? Ano na kaya ang itsura nila? Gaya ko kaya silang tumanda? Tumaba? Pumayat? Pumuti ang buhok? O naubos ang buhok?

Makikilala pa kaya ako nila? O makikilala ko pa rin ba sila?

Aaminin ko na bagama’t saya ang pangunahing naramdaman ko sa aking pag-babalik, ay may halo rin itong kaba, pag-aalinlangan, at konting pait. Dahil alam naman natin na hindi lahat ng mga nakaraang ala-ala ay masasaya. Parang sampalok, may maaasim din.

Mayroon din palang sinampalukang ala-ala?

Paano kung makita mo ‘yung dati mong nakaaway? O ‘yung nang-basted sa iyo? O ‘yung ayaw kang turuan at ayaw rin namang magpakopya, kaya tuloy nag-remedials ka. O ‘yung laging magulang at tamad kapag duty ninyo? O ‘yung nagsumbong at nagpahamak sa inyo? Buhay pa kaya ang mga anak ng tinapa?

Sa kabilang banda, paano naman kung makita mo ‘yung mayroon kang atraso noon? O kaya’y ‘yung kaibigan mo na hanggang ngayon ay hindi mo pa rin nababayaran ang hinayupak na utang mo?

Ano kaya ang iyong gagawin kung makita mong muli ang malupit mong guro na nagpahirap sa iyo? Ano kaya ang mararamdaman mo kung makita mo ang teacher na dahilan kung bakit ka hindi nakapag-marcha sa graduation? Makaya mo kayang ngitian sila o baka magdilim ang iyong paningin at hindi mo mapigilang mag-hurumintado?

Pagtapak mo kaya sa dating paaralan, masasayang gunita lang ba ang sasagi sa iyong isip? O hindi mo rin maiiwasang maalala ang iyong mga naging pagkakamali, na matagal mo nang pinagsisihan at pilit nang kinalimutan?

Hindi ko na lang sasabihin kung ano ang aking mga naramdaman, ngunit sabihin na lang nating may mga sugat na kahit naghilom na, ay masakit pa rin kung makanti.

Subalit lahat ay lumilipas din. Hindi dapat manatili sa maaasim. At kung may maaasim mang mga alaala ay higupin na lang ito na parang sinigang sa sampalok, na matapos mong namnamin, ay masarap din naman pala.

Ang mahalaga ay nakatapos, at naging matagumpay sa pinili mong landas na tahakin. Kahit pa naging puno ng putik at balakid ang iyong dinaanang landas. At ngayon ay taas-noong nanumbalik at nakipagdiwang, para ipakita sa kanila na ang iyong mga sinampalukang pangarap ay iyo ring naatim.

Kaya kahit sampalok man, ay tumatamis din.

********

(*Mundi Dottore is Latin for World Doctor)

 

 

Amazing Run: 6 Years of Blogging

18 January 2016

5 Comments

After 6 years, almost 600 posts, and approaching 190,000 visits, this blog is going strong as ever. In fact, this last year, was my most successful year with regards to the number of visitors.

I know, this is not a race, but still, what an amazing run!

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Thank you for your continued support.

(*photo taken somewhere in Palawan, Philippines, on one of a featured site of the Amazing Race)

 

5 years of blogging

18 January 2015

2 Comments

A few years ago, I started on a trip all by myself.

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Then, a few of you followed.

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Later on, several more joined in.

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An adventure that has taken me to sail back to where I came from.

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And to soar to places I thought I can only dreamed of.

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After 5 years, and after more than 500 posts, and more than 130,000 visits, I am still enjoying this ride.

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For all my readers, followers, and even for the chance passengers, thank you for joining me on this journey.

(*all photos taken with an iPhone)

 

 

Two years and counting

18 January 2012

1 Comment

It is two years.

What has begun as for my own musing and amusement, has turned into 280 posts and obtained about 23,000 visits so far. I am both inspired and humbled that people like you (yes, you who is reading this right now) would stop and read my rambling discourses. For this, I sincerely thank you.

If I have caused even one person to smile, or laugh, or cry, or be inspired, or learn something, or see something from a different perspective, or just pause and reflect, then I believe that the existence of this blog has been worthwhile, and not just cluttering the shrinking cyberspace.

But wait. I have done all of that. In me.

Mission accomplished.

Of Flowers and Photographs

28 December 2011

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These lovely flowers will wither in a few days. The beautiful sunny day will soon turn into night. Even the hanging evergreen wreaths in our windows will not last forever, even if they are called “evergreen,” but will one day lose all its needles. And this picture-perfect photograph, will fade into memory.

Someday, just like the flowers, our strength will also wane. Our eyesight, like a sunny day, will grow dim. Our hair will turn gray, that is if we don’t lose it all first, like the needles of the wreath. And just like a faded photograph, our memory will one day, lose its sharpness.

But unlike flowers, our love will last. And like what old photographs do, we will leave an enduring legacy.

Here’s to us – happy 17th anniversary my love.