Some Photos...

Birthday Party

I FINALLY HAD the chance to celebrate my 38th birthday last Thursday. Close friends were there, most notably those working in the same company as me. Alice and I had initially planned to prepare beef and chicken dishes, but unfortunately, the beef was not available that time, and so we were left preparing chicken dishes only. We were able to complete all the ingredients by 9:30 in the morning of Thursday, and we were on track to cooking all the planned recipes before 10:00. After an approximate 1 and 1/2 hours in the kitchen, we were able to complete the dishes - mixed pancit (bihon/canton), tinola, and chicken fritada - it wasn't much, but from the way the guests devoured the food, I guess we had done it well. :D

Anyways, the day also served as kind of 'bonding' day for everyone as well... most of them stayed until late in the evening just plain talking about all the things at work and in the Gulf... in the afternoon, I decided to quickly bake Alice's favorite - the Peach Pie. The guys loved it as well, giving more 'compliments' to the crust. Well, that's not bad for a budding baker :D

The get-together ended at about a little before 9:00, the guys, probably already feeling tired for almost a whole day staying at the flat, decided they have to go to their own accomodations and have a rest.

The day was both exhilarating and fun... all the preparations were worth the memories gained to start another year for me...

Sound Trip

AS I WAITED for Alice to finish her work last night, I decided to plug the Ipod's earphones to while away time. The airconditioner in the room had broken down the night before and the man I asked to fix it didn't come and so, with the summer heat slowly creeping in this side of the world, sleep is not yet possible at the time anyway, and a little "sound trip" is in the making for me... I haven't been able to listen to the songs I downloaded in my two-year old Ipod shuffle lately, and so spending some time listening to those old songs is an opportunity at the moment. Listening to music is totally relaxing. More than that, it allowed me to hear Filipino songs all over again...

Songs - and for that matter, music - really allows an individual to drift, that is, reminisce good moments and think of even better ones. Aside from getting the much needed relaxation, the "sound trip" I had last night even allowed me to "rewind" a little of my life for the two hours or so I listened to my Ipod. It allowed me to remember funny times with the family, and especially the kids, the good old times with friends and former colleagues, the usual things - small things - that make our lives meanigful and fun. While listening to the old songs in my Ipod last night, it seems like I'm in the Philippines again.

Music really gives harmony to our lives. I should bring that Ipod with me more often.

The Man in the Mirror

I LOOK INTENTLY at the man in the mirror this morning and I saw quite a strange guy. His short, razed haircut has streaks of white here and there, most notably near the temples; his face is a little thinner and "fresher" than last year's; the stubbles in his chin are a little longer; the beer belly is still there, although now it is not really from the beer, but from eating too much 'biryani' rice, beef 'masala', and 'sarooq' lately; the guy has a darker complexion now which is primarily the fault of the scorching desert heat this time of summer... what I saw is a guy that surely looks a little bit stranger than last year... and it makes me wonder why, for the life of us, we always tend to examine ourselves like this when the day is our birthday...

When it's your birthday, everything - the past year, the years before, the "kodak" moments, both the important and not so important activities, life's successes, frustrations, happiness and disappointments - all of your life's memories and treasures, become an afterthought. Everything passes like a seamless, vivid movie in your mind... It is both amazing and funny how these memories come as flood of thoughts in that brief moment when you look at the mirror at the start of the day - the graduation from grade school, the high school gimmicks and the "barkada", the anxieties of going to the big city and into college, getting a degree, finding your dream job and raising a family. It is not about forcing yourself to think of these things... they just come like the sunlight opens up a new day to greet you on your birthday...

When it's your birthday, you tend to examine "transformations". In that brief moment of looking at the man in the mirror this morning, I saw transformations that happened to him all these years. From short pants, to "stretched" jeans, to "stone-washed" to cargo khakis; from blue jeans to chinos to slacks; from tees to shirts, to "barongs" - which incidentally is the most popular garment of those government salaried-employees - and back to shirts again - this time with ties. Birthdays are also about examining these transformations. Today, what I saw from the man in the mirror is the transformation of a skinny boy several decades ago - 38 years to be exact - to a shy teenager, to an active campus editor and student leader, to a dedicated and commited employee, to a father homesick about his kids. It's overwhelming how life sometimes makes a 180 degree turn and you start thinking about it on your birthday...

As I look at the man in the mirror, I started contemplating on life - its purpose... its priorities... its values. I learned not so long ago that these things drastically change... and these changes create an important turn in every man's life... Today, I ask the man in the mirror: "What should these changes now be?"... Again an avalanche of thoughts and memories engulfed him. Maybe it has something to do when a man nears his mid-life... right now, everything is taken as they come, sort of enjoying and savoring each moment given by the Creator... this may or may not change... I guess we just have to wait...

Looking at the man in the mirror this morning stirred within me an emotion that I don't usually feel... in one brief instant, it seems like everything froze and all my life flashed to me again... I've seen strange things looking at him today. Things really change a lot in a year... physical, emotional, spiritual... another year passed, and from the way I look at it, the man in the mirror is happy with the changes he had made and the strides he'd done in the past year. Life is about hope... and constantly wishing... when one nears mid-life and important things are happening in a fast pace, hoping becomes all the more important...for the man in the mirror, it is there where everything starts happening...and there's no better time to start hoping again and doing better still than today.

Postscript...

They said life begins at 40. I still have two more years to prepare for that life. In any case, these 38 years of 'pre-life' I'm having right now provide me with ample memories, lessons, and experiences to make that life one hell of a ride, and to make me look forward to it. This early, I'm bracing for it.

Road Test, Peach (without Mango) Pie and Baked Mac

I took the third and final test towards getting my GCC driving license two days ago. Khalifa's car which we had been using in my lessons - one that is not that new - broke down a day before and so he had to bring a new one (borrowed from a friend) during the day of the test. I had initial apprehensions and thus, we decided that I should get familiarised first with the new car. We practised for two hours before waiting for the examiner. I finished familiarising with the new car at about a quarter past nine and got to be tested around 15 minutes before noon. It was a worthwhile wait because I passed the last test, the police examiner even entering into a jovial conversation with me and Khalifa. At last, after a little over a month of practice and a total of 23 hours spent in Khalifa's car, I finally get to have my driving license in this region. A very good thing about securing a driver's license here is that you get to use it in all member gulf states, so no more worrying about getting another one in case you move to another place for work. A fantastic experience indeed!

Yesterday, Alice asked that we cook something in celebration of my passing the test a day before. After rummaging through stocks and the fridge, we decided that I cook our fast becoming favorite dessert - the Peach Pie - as well as our own version of the Baked Mac. A very good thing about being here is that I could practice and experiment on my cooking. During our several months of stay, I had learned - even perfected some - dishes that are fast becoming our favorites. Of course this is really good... the only downside being Alice again starting to worry about some "excess fats" :D

Anyways, an hour and a half later, the pie and the baked mac are there, ready for consumption. We had some sort of a little feast, savoring the food and enjoying one lovely moment being husband and wife. While eating, a message (through SMS) arrived from our little girl Rain, asking how we are doing, and it made the moment even sweeter.

Times like these - which we tend not to give much importance - are the ones that really keep us going through life... well, at least, that's what I believe in... don't you think so?

Paper Presentation and Barbecue Party

Yesterday, I presented a paper on the research Alice and I had been working on these past couple of years. It was about a learning model - blended learning we call it, which is a fusion of the traditional face-to-face classroom and e-learning. I am not new to presenting papers, having presented some previous works in both local and national conferences and symposia back in the Philippines, but it was my first time to present a paper to an international audience and the first time also to do it outside of my country. The feeling is really overwhelming, I would say. There is a combination of tension, apprehension, and excitement... and it was fantastic! Anyways, everything ended up well with the presentation, some of my colleagues and other guests as well commending me with it... job well done, I suppose :-)

...The organisers provided a barbecue party for all the participants to the symposium last night. The food was great, especially the salads... we had been treated to a well-deserved feast, and we made it sure that everybody enjoyed the food. It was really an opportune time to meet new friends in the profession, make friends with other Filipinos from other areas in the same profession as Alice and I are in, and just plain enjoy the day... I guess sometimes we need these moments to refresh and expand our craft as well.

Today, I still have another job - to facilitate/moderate one of the presentations for the day. Hoping this will be another productive and fruitful day.

Easter

It is Easter Sunday today, one of the two Christmases celebrated in the Christian world, and the holiest celebration of the Christian faith. It is a time of renewed faith and a time of hope... it is the time when Christians all over the world celebrate the resurrection - the coming to life again - of the Christ Jesus... it is one of the most important mysteries of the Christian faith... and life really is about faith... and hope, too... as the old cliche goes, successes make us celebrate life, failures make us humble... hope and faith keep us going... it is true.

This day, the family - our extended family - is celebrating Easter with a swimming party. It is an activity to celebrate the blessings our creator has been constantly showering us. And it is also a celebration of our kids' graduation (Rain) and birthdays (River and Ash). They will be accompanied by our parents, brothers and sisters, and their cousins. It will definitely be a memorable day for everyone... it will be a time for renewed bonding... a time when everyone becomes closer to one another... afterall, that's what families are for... for Alice and me, we'll just watch from the sidelines - through text messages and photos they will send us through email later... that will also be worthwhile for us...

Happy Easter! Keep the faith...

Graduation, mobile phones and Internet

Rain, the second of our children and our only daughter, graduated in Senior Casa (Kinder 2) two days ago. Even though both I and Alice are far away, we monitored the ceremonies from my mother through mobile phones (communication really is very fast and important these days). My mother continuously updated us with what activities are being done and what they have been doing throughout the ceremonies. After the ceremonies were finished, my brother-in-law uploaded all the pictures to the web through email and we were able to see all the pictures of our child in her graduation dress just minutes after the activities are over. It was as if the two of us had been there too...

Of course, there is no substitute for witnessing first hand activities such as this. But if circumstances do not permit, such as when you're working in a faraway land and cannot just go back immediately, the power of the Internet and the mobile phone just become very very indispensable... I would say technology nowadays is really an ample substitute for the real thing in some very important circumstances... it's really satisfying to have these technologies... and at least know what's happening with your child at some very important scenarios (such as graduation), I can assure you.

Anyways, when we talk to Rain (again, using a mobile phone) that night, she was very happy and she went on telling her mom many stories just as any little girl would after a very happy day... we were equally elated. To top it off, both of our sons added more good news - they are both second honours in their respective levels, just like Rain...

What more can we ask for? The kids are happy, the technology is there, everything's fine... life is good, really.

Lent

Today is Holy Monday... the start of one of the most holy activities of the Christian world - the Lent. Actually, the Lenten season started way back several weeks ago when Ash Wednesday was celebrated. It was supposed to be the starting point when Christians examine themselves once again, going back to their faith, and understanding that they should be cleansed and be renewed... "for thou art dust, and unto dust thou shall come back..."

In this region, the celebration of this season is very much different from the way it is celebrated back home. Being predominantly Muslim, the place has different activities and different priorities... at least, it is good to see that the minority Christian population still finds time celebrating Lent in the Gulf. Two weeks ago, I received a phone call from a friend who is active in church services. She told me if I can participate in the celebration of Lent by reading some passages from the Seven Last Words in their church. I said yes. It is an opportunity to do some indulgences for the Lord. I know that eventually, what will count is everyone's personal relationship with his creator, no matter what his faith is, or his religion may be. However, taking an active part in the church when you are a Roman Catholic will not do any harm... it will actually do more good for one's relationship with his God...

So, this coming Good Friday, Alice and I, and probably some of our closest friends, will celebrate some important moments in the Church... we don't know if we could come back for the most important celebration of the Easter Sunday, the day being a regular working day in this area, and the church being almost 200km away... nevertheless, we know that by being there on Good Friday, our Lord knows that we are not forgetting him... and I know that he knows we are one of his children too...

River

It's River's birthday today. He's 10 years old this year. As they say, time really flies so fast... I can still remember when River is still a baby and our sole child... Alice and I usually bring him to various activities in the University and our colleagues are just too happy to see him and play with him... Now, River is already in Casa Level 4. He is currently the silver medalist (second honours) in his batch and is slowly getting the momentum to be active in many extra curricular activities. Just several weeks ago, he participated as a member of the school team in the division math quiz... prior to that, he participated in the district spelling and another competition I cannot recall right now...

I would say that River had grown up to be a disciplined child. He may not have the sense of responsibility right now, as any child would in his age, but he has the sense to follow what he's told to do and at least help in some simple household chores from time to time... he makes it a point to do his homeworks by himself (although he usually asks for the help of his mom for some more 'difficult' activities like doing projects and the like). Just like any other child, River is very fond of his yaya, whom he always asks for all the things a normal child would...

Of all the traits of River, the one thing we like most is his habit of reading... he spends most of his time reading - books and magazines, and whatever he likes... He even has a habit of reading some passages from his favorite books before going to sleep. He really likes reading a lot, that when asked what gift he should get - during Christmas or birthdays - he most often than not asks for books. When I go to a bookstore and he's with me, he would always ask me to buy him either a magazine or a book...

River is also, at a young age, a techie... he started using the computer at age 3... learned how to operate it by himself at age 4... and right now, ordinarily use the computer - the Web and the Internet included - in his homeworks, reasearch, and even for emailing and chatting... he doesn't like the mobile phone very much, my daughter Rain being more fond of that gadget than him, but he likes to play all sorts of electronic games there is, from PC games to XBox to gameboy games... he likes everything - from popular arcade games such as text twist to counter strike to world of warcraft, he likes them... most of all, he likes XBox's Halo...

River, just like my two other kids, is a gift for me and Alice... he is a source of our joy and one of our reasons for living (the other two being our two other kids Rain and Ash). He may have some of the mood swings of a typical child, but most of the time he's a kid trying to impress his parents and trying that his parents will be proud of him... we are proud of him... he has done many things to impress us... above all else, whatever he may do, we love him... he is one of our heroes...

Happy Birthday!