Vessel of Pain

The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less.
The amount of pain in life remains the same,
exactly the same.
But the amount we taste the 'pain'
depends on the container we put it into.

So when you are in pain,
try to enlarge your own vessel
where we you put your life's trials and pains.

Have faith just as much as a mustard seed
and with a great amount of patience
and understanding,
we can endure and conquer pain.

Stop being a Glass. Become a Lake!

Sparkling Light From Within

People are like stained glass windows.

When the sun is shining through them,

they glow brightly and sparkle.

But when the sun goes down,

and it is dark and gloomy outside;

Their true beauty is revealed...

only if there is light from within.

Know people by what they are from inside;

And not by what they appear from out..

Photo grabbed from flickr.com

Uploaded by Ascendingkitty

"The Scream" On Ovi Historical Tweet

In celebration with the outstanding partnership of PEBA, Inc. and Nokia for the upcoming event PEBA 2009 Awards, and in collaboration with KABLOGS co-bloggers - AZEL in Panunumbalik ng Ulirat, Rio in Bizjoker-of-the-Philippines, & Reymos in My World Is Getting Smaller Every Day and the OVI Blog community, I am featuring The Scream, my favorite painting in the world as my shared blog for Nokia's OVI Historical Tweet.

I can see true emotion used here, every possible feeling that one may have is screaming out of this painting. Its like a magnificent ray of fireworks, the most powerful colors are used to portray rays of emotion that actually reach out and call to you. I could stare at this painting for hours and never truly understand it, its strength is moving.

Painted in 1893, The Scream is Edvard Munch's most famous work and one of the most recognizable paintings in all art. It has been widely interpreted as representing the universal anxiety of modern man. Painted with broad bands of garish color and highly simplified forms, and employing a high viewpoint, the agonized figure is reduced to a garbed skull in the throes of an emotional crisis. With this painting, Munch met his stated goal of “the study of the soul, that is to say the study of my own self”. Wikipedia

According to speculations by astronomers, the red sky Munch saw, might have been the result of an 1893 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa. Psychiatrists on the other hand, have a different version to offer. They believe that the pain and agony the lone character in "The Scream" experiences, is an outcome of the tragic childhood, Edvard Munch had. According to them, the painting could be an outpour of all the pain he experienced, which included disease, death, and insanity.

The Scream has been the target of several high-profile art thefts.In the late twentieth century, The Scream acquired iconic status in popular culture. Scream has been used in advertising, in cartoons, such as The Simpsons, and films and on TV. Ghostface, the murderer in Wes Craven's Scream horror movies, wears a Halloween mask inspired by the central figure in the painting. Reproductions of this mask are now common masks in the real world.

And now, The Scream has made a niche in Palipasan, the powerful painting tops up strong emotions, like Nokia, its strength is moving, it connects, it touches.

Next time you discover your Nokia mobile unit missing,

just S-C-R-E-A-M ! ! !

Interest and Commitment

There's a difference
between interest and commitment.

When you're interested in doing something,

you do it only when circumstance permit.

When you're committed to something,

you accept no excuses,
only results.

Photo grabbed from flickr.com
Uploaded by shyninglyt *(",)*

Undas

Dito nahihimlay ang aking mga magulang

kasama ang aking bayaw, darating ang

panahon ito rin ang aking huling

"stop over"

Ilang araw na lang ay Araw na ng Undas, isang tradisyong Pinoy na maipagmamalaki natin sa buong mundo kung saan tuwing ika-1 ng Nobyembre ng bawa’t taon ay binibigyan nating halaga ang mga namayapa nating mahal sa buhay.

Sa huling linggo ng Oktubre, magiging abala ang ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas sa pagpapalinis ng mga nitso, pag-aalis ng mga basura at damong ligaw na sumibol sa paligid nito, at pagpapapintura ng mga nitso, pamimili ng mga bulaklak, at mga kandila ang ilan sa mga pangunahing listahan bilang paghahanda sa Todos Los Santos.

Ang aking mga namayapang magulang at bayaw ay magkakasamang nahihimlay sa pampublikong sementeryo ng Lunsod ng Pasay at nung nakaraang linggo sa tulong ng aking Ate ay ipnaayos namin ng maaga ang kanilang puntod bilang paghahanda sa Todos Los Santos.

Inaalala ko tuloy ang mga lugar na lubog sa tubig baha matapos ang mapanalantang bagyo. Kahit ang mga patay ay hindi rin nakaligtas sa bagyong Ondoy at Pepeng. Ilang sementeryo kaya ang lubog sa tubig magpasahanggang ngaun? Paano kaya sila madadalaw ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay?

Sa hindi naapektuhan ng pagbaha, magiging masaya na naman ang bawa’t sementeryo, magliliwanag sa iba’t ibang hugis ng kandila lalo pa sa pagsapit ng gabi. Isang buong araw na magsisilbing “reunion” kung saan ang bawa’t pamilya ay magkakatipon tipon sa puntod ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay at sama-samang mag-aalay ng panalangin.

At sadyang may mga ilan din na bumibisita sa sementeryo bitbit ng kanilang mga casette player o kaya ay gitara, sana naman ay walang magdala ng karaoke at baka ito ay magmistulang Videoke Bar ang sementeryo. Igalang naman natin ang mga taong nag-aalay ng panalangin.

Ang ilan ay may dalang baraha bilang pampalipas oras sa buong araw na pananatili sa sementeryo, magsisimula sa solitaryo at mauuwi sa Tong-Its at Pusoy Dos ang paglilibang ng mag-anak. Iwasan naman ninyo ang pagdadala ng Majong, huwag naman maging garapal sa pagsusugal at wala tayo sa Casino.

May mga kalalakihan din na may dalang lapad o bote ng alak at serbesa bilang pamatid uhaw sa gitna ng sementeryo, konting paggalang lang po, may tamang lugar po ang inuman tulad ng inyong bahay o kaya ay sa Beer Haus na lang kayo mag-inuman.

Masasayang kwentuhan, paggunita sa mga ala-ala ng mga namayapa ang dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ng bawa’t pamilya, huwag pag-usapan ang buhay ng ibang tao na nabubuhay, ang sementeryo po ay hindi lugar para pag-tsismisan ang buhay ng ibang tao na hindi pa sumasakabilang buhay.

Sa gitna ng pagdiriwang na ito bilang paggalang sa mga namayapa, isang pagkakataon din ito na sinasamantala ng ilang mga kababayang mandurukot o snatcher kung saan sa makapal na tao sa loob ng sementeryo sila ay naglilibot at naghahanap ng biktimang madudukutan, baka katabi mo sila sa pakikipagsiksikan, kaya’t mag-ingat ka kaibigan, mas nakakatakot sila kaysa sa mga kaluluwa na ating ginugunita. Kaya’t ingatan ang mga bitbit na gamit at iwasang magdala ng maraming pera o mamahaling alahas, nasa loob po kayo ng sementeryo at wala po kayo sa SM o Trinoma.

At bilang panghuli, huwag kayong magugulat kung ang ilang mga politiko ay inyong makikita sa inyong sementeryo na tila nangangampanya, sila ang mga taong walang takot sa multo. Bilang paala-ala, karamihan sa mga nahihimlay sa mga sementeryo ay nakalista pa rin sa Voters’ List ng Comelec at huwag kayong magtataka na ang mga namayapang ninyong mahal sa buhay ay may maaaring makaboto bilang "ghosts voters" sa nalalapit na halalan sa 2010 dahil sa umiiral na madaling dayaing sistema at makinarya ng ating eleksyon sa kasalukuyang lipunan.

Dati ay mga magnanakaw lamang sa sementeryo ang sa kanila’y nagsasamantala, ngaun ay apektado na rin sila ng pandaigdigang suliranin sa climate change at epekto nito tulad ng land erosion at flash floods, at sa pagsapit ng 2010, ilan sa kanila’y magiging kasangkapan sa election fraud.

Mahirap nga talagang mamatay... tila walang katahimikan kahit na nasa kabilang buhay.

Meet The Pope

I’m neither a Preacher nor a Saint; I’ve never been to Rome or in Jerusalem. There is no trace of pontifical blood in my veins for I have come from a nation where heroes are shaped by their faith and belief; a brown race from Asia, I am a Filipino, from the Philippines.

And now I’m in the Middle East not as a Missionary but as a struggling Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) dispersed in the foreign land because of the escalating hunger and poverty in my beloved Land.

Battling the harsh weather conditions and blending with the unique Arab culture, my 17 years as diasporas has engraved into my heart the countless tales of sacrifices of my “kababayan” and their heroic stories as Migrant Filipinos as a foreign partner in building and developing a nation not only of its host country but the world’s civilization; as PEBA termed it “Hope of the Nation, Gift to the World”.

At present I am a Statistician in Qatar’s military organization; my mind was riveted in the cyclic motion of numbers and digits giving life and scientific interpretations beyond its raw data linking the past and the present and charting the future.

During the winter night of mid-January of 2009, in my effort to fight depression and insanity, I found myself curving my niche in the blogging world choosing Palipasan as my abode in Blogspot community. It is here I discover the therapeutic relief of writing, the free flow of thoughts and personal expressions on the realities of life being transformed into a new hybrid form of literature called blog.

As I begin my journey in the borderless world of blogging, like an unrecognized voice from the wilderness, I will not talk about “I, Me, and Myself”, but I will be speaking about faith, hope and love and this blog is about YOU, the OFWs and the Filipinos around the world who takes pride of being a Pinoy.

Life is Beautiful, Keep on Believing.

Our Nation Suffers A Lot

Our nation suffers, we have lost political morality

and is in the brink of economic perdition..

Not because of the corruption of the people in power,

But because of the tolerance of good people;

Not because of the the irresponsible government
and public officials' inactions,
But because of patience and enduring character of good people;

Not because of violence commited by bad people,

But because of silence of good people!

Our nation suffers a lot,
its fate resides in YOU!

Don't be a sleep talkers and sleep walkers.

You can choose to be a lighted candle in the dark,
Or a mirror that reflects the glimmering light.

Whatever you do not do to this nation today,
will be inherited by the children of tomorrow.

And it could include your own child.

Let us help to make a change.

The hero is within YOU!

Photo grab from flickr.com

Uploaded by jobarracuda

Try Me

Smooth roads never make good drivers.

Smooth sea never makes good sailors.

Clear skies never make good pilots.

Problem free life never makes a strong person.

Be strong enough to accept the challenges of life.

Don’t ask life, ‘Why me?’.
Instead say, ‘Try me!’






Photo grab from flickr.com
Uploaded by Kathline Tolosa

Happy 19th Birthday Geeka!!!

Today is one of many celebrations that will take place with a tender bit of sadness in my heart for being not physically present in your joyful birthday celebration as me and your Mom are thousand miles away from you.

It is hard to believe that 19 years ago, it was 12th of October before midnight, I was holding my precious gift from God in my arms for the very first time. You are an incredible blessing as you came into our lives and has blown me away as you walked into womanhood.

I love you more than I can say, and more than I always show. You are my alter ego, an independent young woman, not because you does the grocery shopping, pay the utility bills, manage the monthly budgets, excel in your school grades, taking care of the dogs, etc., but because you are an awesome person. You are a true-blue friend and Lover of the LORD. You are what you are. We do love you Geeka.

Our lives are forever blessed by YOU.. from Dadi, Mami and Kuya...

HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY.

"God bless you and keep you,

God smile on you and gift you,

God look you full in the face

and make you prosper."

(Numbers 6:24-26)

P.S.

I hope you'll love my birthday gift to you, as we named her Katy... she's an adorable cute poodle puppy, a new addition to our family.

Pepeng Whips Northern Luzon

Typhoon Pepeng wreaked havoc in Northern Luzon provinces, 90% of Pangasinan province is under flood waters including Asinggan, the hometown of my wife; and there were reports that more than 100 people perished in the towns of Benguet and Baguio City after a series of mudslides swamped community houses and farms.

We'd been trying to contact my brother-in-law and his family in Pangasinan but it seems that the communication has been severed by rain and floodwater. I pray that they have been evacuated and in safe ground.

An interactive map with relevant information to areas heavily affected by Typhoon Pepeng has been provided by GMANews for your information and is very useful. It provides very good context on the location and situation of affected areas and victims.You could contribute and update the information from your own computer.

Link to the actual calamity map: GMA News.TV

Please pass the link and let us help to update the said information.

Let us offer prayers to the victims of this new calamity and let us continue our mission of sharing whatever we could give to our Kababayans who have been pounded by latest typhoon.

Ray Of Hope

From the skies of life, tearing the clouds of sadness there comes a ray of hope.

Enlightens our world and gives us strength to cope.

It fills in light. It fills in strength.

And teaches us never to bend.

It makes us smile. It brings us joy.

Makes us as happy as a child with toy.

A Ray of Hope is as beam of light which removes from our lives the darkest night.

Answer Only One Question

Photo Credit

In life, answer to only one question matters!

Have you chosen a course that leads to a destination which matters most to you?

Amid the calamities brought by Ondoy and Pepeng, ordinary Filipinos and OFWs around the world have contributed life-sustaining resources to our kababayan who have been devastated by the great storms.

Kudo's to all my friends and bloggers who have responded for calamity help, who have done volunteer work, initiated or organized help projects and networks, to those who have donated money and material things to civic organizations, who have prayed and posted inspirational words; and to those who put their lives at risk to ensure a better life for the powerless and the less privilaged.

There is no greater calling than to serve our fellow kababayan, no greater contribution than to help the weak. We are our brothers' keepers. You are the real heroes. As the PEBA author says:

"But we don't need to lose our life to be a hero. A small act of kindness, or even a little prayer will do, makes us feel good, makes us prouder that we have done good today, not for the world to notice, but for the glory of Him we all look up to."

Sometimes we are confronted with problems recognizing life's heroes because those we find in the corridors of power are only self-important speechmakers who are busy with their campain slogans and TV Ad Commercials for the upcoming 2010 Elections. The fat Pork Barrel Funds and the National Emergency Funds could have reduced the impacts of the calamities, the people in Malacanang, Senate and Congress are criminally negligent to the Filipinos' miseries who tried to shift the blame to the natural disaster alone due to lack of disaster plan and resources.

The true heroes are on the streets, who brave the cold wind and flood waters and muds saving the helpless people trapped on top of house roofs and rushing waters, the youth, the soldiers and medical staffs who are doing volunteer works at help centers. They are hard to find because they are busy working, trying to bring a smile and restore the lives of our helpless Filipinos.

These unsung heroes have demonstrated that the poor can still hope to see improvement in their lives, their selfless ambition in saving lives will always be remembered, the unknown heroes deserve our attention and gratitude.

Maraming pong salamat sa inyong walang sawang pagtulong sa ating mga kapus palad na kababayan.

You have chosen a course that leads to a destination that matters not only to you but to all the weak, the helpless and the underprivileged.

You make Life Beautiful.

You make miracles come true.

The Promise

God has not promised;

Skies always blue,

Sun without rain.

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

But God has promised;
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way.
Grace for trails,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy;
And an undying love.

The Sun Will Shine Again

Even though the sky seems dark, believe in the future.

The storm will pass over. The clouds will roll by.

Believe in the best though it seems hidden.

Know that it will come though it’s not in sight.

Your faith will make you see through the darkness,

Your belief will prove that the sun will shine again.

Life is Beautiful, always have faith in your heart and keep on believing, real miracles happen right before your eyes.

Photograb from flickr.com uploaded by frencelt's photostream.