UH at Manoa

I've alrdy applied for PhD Econ to UH-Manoa. Deadline was last Jan. 15, 2017. Coincidentally, mao pud ni deadline sa NFP applications 16 yrs ago nga nadawat ko buyag. Si Lorna lent me her credit card so I was able to apply on time. But I have to take the GRE and TOEFL coz required. Mahal na man gud kaju so I decided to shelve it. Mangita na lang ko ug lain. Kanang di ko makagasto or makautang pa. I pray for the best Lord. Amen. I keep the faith!

Econ UH-Manoa

There's PhD Econ at UH-Manoa. Sauna pa mn ko ani giingnan ni Aunty Helen, who's living in Hawaii. She has been there since the 1980s I think. Gahi mn lagi ko ulo, I went to Holland for my Master's. Wa mn ko magmahay ato. Ang NUS jud maoy sajop sa tanan nahong gibuhat. I emailed UH-Manoa back in 2016; asked them for requirements for PhD Economics. Nibawos mn pud ang ilang chair. Ang gipangita ra nila was someone with teaching experience. Pasok unta kaju ko! I did put together my application then. I even paid more than P1,000 so that my papers would get there on time. But nibackout kos GRE and TOEFL exams requirements. Nahadlok pud ko to study abroad again. Is it really where I'm meant to be? Please show me po. Amen. ;) Today Jeff Powell mentioned it on the email. Told him I'll be going there next week. Hay Heide, you can't fight destiny lagi. If meant jud ko para didto then ako dawaton Lord. Amen.

Still a Goldmine

I was told by Luchie Almagro-Blanco today that NUFFIC will be holding a convention in Cebu in 2017 pohon. She asked for my email. She also told me to relay the information to my circle. Si Mam Jessica Uy ra mn gud ako kaila diri mao ako sya giinform. I had an online course with IHS man pag March last year. Sustainable Cities man to. Wow, kinsa na kaha pud sa taga-Manila ang mangari? I'm sure the Manila people will descend here ig abot ana phon ;) Wow Lord, I'm so overwhelmed! Till now, goldmine lng japon ang ako ISS connection. I keep the faith.

Arvin

I had asked Jacky to check out if minyo ba sya o dili. And Jacky found out that he was. Toink! La na jud nako siya gimessage. Thanks for the friendship Dong and wish you all the best always. Dugay2 pud to nako siya gifriend, from August 2012 pa. Cge The last time I messaged him he said he was busy with all the refugees from Marawi. The next thing I know, na'nay taga-CDO who messaged me to ask if I know him. I said yes and I know that he's married. Ngano diay? I will check her reply tonight. Jia you!

The Lobrigos of Legazpi ;)

Fr. Jovic Lobrigo is the unofficial leader of our group in ISS2K. We're very good friends of course. Ako kaya ang sekretarya ng pari while si Stone ang sacristan. Pero grabe pud mi mag-impose on him. Asa ka anang we woke him up at 1030 pm one time coz we wanted coffee? Hay pastilan ning mga baliw na batchmates! ;) Sila Inday and Ning also became my close friends. We went to Rome, Italy together. They also hosted us in Graz and drove us to Vienna back in May 2001. Si Manang Beding pud was kind enough to lend Jacky and I their house in Daraga, Albay. We had so many nights stargazing from the terrace of that house! ;) Namatay ilang Nanay this time. May you rest in peace po. All the best to us and Merry Christmas!

Helen Barayuga

She's a very good friend. She's one of the 3 Marias, the diploma studes at ISS in 2001. Told her about this activist guy. She asked if my feelings for him changed after knowing that he's like that. In a way yes. Coz tuo mn gud ko'g maestro ra siyas univ. La jud ko magtuo nga aktibista diay siya. Sabagay, ang nanay gud niya aktibista so asa pa mn diay siya mosunod? Jia you Doki. Hope daw that after this holiday season ako na sya makalimtan. Mao pud na ako prayer. Cge.

Disturbed

I must say I got disturbed by that outing yesterday. Nangaon ra mn ta mi'g S&R pizza. I don't like it man gud. Coz he once said wala na koy kapilian. And now he approaches me nga mora'g papansin kaju? Bahala ka dihas buhay mo, Dong. All the best and Merry Christmas to us all! ;)

Engr May Tampus

I met her as a fellow Filipino Dutch scholar in Holland in 2000. They studied in Delft while we were in the Hague. Magkita ra mis church at St. Aloysius College in Oostduinland Saturdays or Sundays panagsa. She's 2 years younger than me diay. We've become friends thru the years. She has to take care of her parents maong morag maglisud pud sya'g minyo. We talked in Ayala for like 2hrs. Daghan mi'g naistoryahan, most of which were just how things are at USC this time. Bottom line, I am lucky and should be happy that nihawa na ko didto. I have endeavoured to start again in CDU; I contribute to the development of our International Studies program somehow. Good luck to us Mayang. All the best to us always ;)

Good Old Friend Perte Omega ;)

"You own your heart, Heids. You decide who it wants to love". She once told me these words. Thanks Perts, always a good friend to me. Saun mn gud ning Sagittarius in me nga I think of love as a game mn gud. Heheh. Ajaw palabi Doki kay tiguwang na ka. Tinud-a na na Heidz ug ni Gina Cabudlan pa. Jia you to us all. Merry Christmas! ;) Si Perte is in America these days. C/o Myre daw iya trip. Ako ingnan pangita na'g Amerikano diha, ayaw na uli diris Pinas. Heheh. All the best to us always, Pert! Magbday na pud cja ig July 26 phon. Unsa nang adlawa?

CGA

She is in Wisconsin n lagi this time. Last February 2021 I msgd her thinking she is in USC p. And because she became excited with my news, she would've wanted to call me. Hinay mn lagi akong signal maong chat n lng mi. Happy ra mn pud xa with Mr Hawaii. These days nga apil n xas among GC with Boyet and Reymar, she said oldie n daw siya. Kami daw kay mga bata p, explore the world daw. Thanks Mam Cor! She actually told me that I can also be an academic in the USA kuno. Coz I told her man lagi that ang ambisyon ni Migs Garcia lagi kuno is makasud ug Ivy League nga school sa USA. To which I thought kaya ra gud kaju. Si Migs p nga PhD in Neuroeconomics gud lagi sija tawn oi from the Univ of Zurich in Switzerland! Anyway, I told her that dili n akong ambisyon jud lagi. Taga bukid ra lagi tawn kos Cawayanan, Tubigon, Bohol oi. But I follow ra jud where God would take me. Kana ra jud. Amen. Anyway, my anecdote with Mam Cora. I had a book on competition policy from the intl conf sa Radisson last Nov 2013 nila Mam Ching during the time of Yolanda. Suya kaayo siya that wala siya kakuha. Heheh. She's always been kind to me. I remember meeting her in Ayala with a colleague in December 2012. Then she took care of me jud when I was part of the TCW training last October 2016 in USC-TC. She even asked me to teach at USC Econ again. Wa n lagi ko mobalik didto ug full time, part time n lng jud. God bless Mam Cora, magkita ra ta pohon sa America! :) I keep the faith. Amen! Christmas is in the air na jud ;)

Holland T-shirt, Harry

I asked my good friend Harry to give me a Holland t-shirt. Coz I said daan na ang akong T-shirt ug gitrapo na lang. He was noncommittal but I'm sure he would eventually send it to me. I asked for it as a Christmas gift gud. Heheh. Jia you Doki! ;) Feb 21, 2017 evening. He said the T-shirt is on its way. Oh my God. Heel bedankt, Harry. You've always been a great friend. God bless u always! ;

Prof Jose Tongzon

He was the only Filipino Econ professor at NUS when I enrolled there in 2005-2006. He's actually from Leyte, did his Econ at ADMU if I'm not mistaken then did his PhD at Australia. He's married to a Vietnamese lady and they only have one daughter. Sa Auckland daw nag-eskwela. I met his wife at the Church of the Holy Cross in Clementi. He said Vietnamese daw iyang napilian kay gamay ra daw Pinoy sa AUS. He left NUS for a while and went to Inha University in Incheon, South Korea. We'd always keep in touch coz there was one time he came to Cebu and asked me for a good dentist. These days, retired na daw sya but still affiliated with some universities. I pray for the best. Amen. He is actually in Kazakshtan daw as of the moment coz tua n mn lagi pud kadung ang mga Koreano kay need daw nila magsecure ug energy resources. I told him about Mr Hawaii Koreano actually. Cge po Sir ;)

Be Brave Little One

"Be brave little one, till your hopes and your wishes come true, you must try to be brave little one. Someone's waiting to love you". "Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream" "Nasasabik akong makita ka. Nais kong mahagkan at mayakap kita. Kung ang larawan mo ay kayang ipinta, sana'y matagal ko ng ginawa. Nang dumating ka sa aking buhay. Di nasayang ang aking hinintay. Mga panaginip ko at mga pangarap noo'y nasa 'kin na ngayon. Ikaw pala un" ... "You're my home and together, we share this love for us to be happy and free"...

Tokyo

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 He suddenly said that he's in Tokyo for a seminar. Wahh, sa'n galing un?? We were just talking about how he looked different the first time he came to TCW and when he came back to finish it. Then he mentioned his mentor as one of the anti-communists daw. Heheh, I will not want to meet him no? Kauwaw uroy! Then after that la na sya moreply. Did he feel cut short when I said 'Go ahead po. I dun wanna bother u in any way. Cge po'? Cge lng Doki, just hang on and keep the faith. I believe we have become friends. The lines of communication can be reopened ra mn cguro in future. Happy weekend everyone! Now I know the reason why they're friends with Jun Borras on FB. Coz his mentor and JB are good friends. Mao cguro pud nga giadd ra sya ni JB. Coz he said 'actually i only read his work. tas inadd ko'. I actually felt suspicious about what he said but didn't push it na lng. There's no need to be a stranger mn pud cguro. I know so many people who are activists mn gud from my ISS days. I can't deny all that! And siya pud aktibista coz of his mom. Exposed na siyas activist world. Cge, jia you Doki ;)

DLSU PhD

I emailed DLSU Econ last Saturday 12/10/16 to ask if I could finish my program from NUS with them. Today 12/13/16 na nibawos ang Dean sa SOE, si Dr Marites Tiongco. She said they might consider my coursework in NUS but 2/3 of the coursework plus the dissertation daw must be done with them. Okay, I said I might take it. But then, I thought again at what she said. Di mn nako kaya Lord oi nga mausab tong akong nightmares sa NUS. So please give me a program na lang Lord that makaya jud nako nga pasaron. Dili ng bukid na pud nga kinahanglan nako iclimb. Tiguwang na baya ko Lord so please help me. I keep the faith always. Jia you Dok!

Rijkmuseum Amsterdam

I asked for a souvenir from their exhibition before of the Dutch East Indies Company. Wala na mn daw so libro n lng ila ihatag. I said I will take it. It arrived on the mail yday. More than one month pud kay Nov 8 mn daw to nadispatch from Amsterdam. It's called "The Dutch Encounter in Asia: 1600-1950". Wow, coloured pa! Jia you, Rijks. Heel bedankt! ;)

Mam Shirley Sisante ;)

Sya maoy akong nanay2an sa PP. She's my former coordinator at WIS Kindergarten School from Bataan. I always admire her words of wisdom. The first lesson I remember from her is "Kung anong ayaw mo, yun ang ibibigay sa 'yo ng Diyos till you'd learn to love it". Heheh, thanks Mam. These days as I'm meeting a new guy and thinking of where I want to go and what I want to do in life, her advice is "Mahalin mo ang sarili mo coz mahal ka ni Lord". I am a very giving person daw, but very stingy and stubborn when it comes to self love. I should love myself daw coz it would set me free. Wag daw isip gamitin but puso naman. Hahha ;) Thank you Mam, I appreciate it always. Good luck in the US and God bless. Merry Christmas!

I'll Read It Na Lang

Since he decided to keep me as a friend, I looked at reviews na rin of what he said is his favourite novel. Okay ra man diay, I downloaded a free copy already. 80 pages pud oi! Darkness at Noon. Saun! Ako lng giscan2 till I reached the end. Tragedy. Then I said what's life-changing about it? I have a classmate from Indonesia who did a braver thing by going to Cuba! Jia you Doki. Just enjoy the friendship lng gud and don't expect much ang advice sa mga tawo. Mao gud, probinsyana ra gud ko. Ako n lng pud iya tilokon? Heheh ;)

VSO and Columban Lay Missionary

I applied to VSO Bahaginan last Sunday Dec 11, 2016. La pa mn silay reply. I'm also waiting for VU's response. Coz Sylvia vd Bunt said the one in charge is still in New Zealand and would only be back on the 18th pohon. Okay, sakto ra pud. Enough time for things to pan out. Show me Your direction Lord. Morag wala na cguro tong UU kay wa n mn mobawos si Guus. Nibawos na pud ang Columban. They gave me a lot of information just in case I'd proceed on being a missionary with them. I'd have to think about it of course. Coz I wanna do my PhD after mograduate si Michelle pohon. Jia you Doki, everything will be alright. Ginoo ray nakahibaw sa tanan lagi. While there's life, there's hope. Happy weekend! ;)

Salony Sainju Bazimaya

After what seemed like ages, I found and reconnected with Salony, my good friend from Nepal on Facebook very recently. She was with Joy and I on the weekend trip to Luxembourg. She said that trip was ours alrdy, while right now she's very busy with life. She was my classmate in Ashwani's class also. If I'm not mistaken OPT 305 on Poverty. Or was it globalization? Thanks for reconnecting, Salony. Let's stay in touch! ;)

Anti-communism, Koestler, Kolakowski, Judt

These were the authors he mentioned as the primary reason why he's anticommunist daw. I searched in our library. Thankfully they have a copy of "The Memory Chalet" by Tony Judt; this came out in 2010. Indeed it's a very interesting read. His insights on Europe were very true and direct. I cannot of course judge for America coz I've never been there. Koestler wrote fiction kuno and Darkness At Noon daw iya favourite novel. Nah saun! Ako pa na basahon? Even Kolakowski's works di na ko gusto mobasa. Boring na na kaju! I ended up reading Koestler. It changed his life kuno. I wondered why. Coz para nako, ordinaryo ra mn gud nas mga komunista nga patyon ang ilang myembro who they think is not anymore loyal to the party and its objectives. Jia you Doki, keep the faith always! ;)

Relatives

Our relatives have really gotten old. Jacky told me the other night that blind na daw si Ate Cynthia nya niwang na kuno pud si Uncle Loloy. Mga diabetic mn tawn sila. So as much as she wants to leave to get over Pastor Ross, di pwede kay way mobantay nila. I still haven't dropped by Baybay, Leyte pud to see Ate Alfea. Day before TCW mn to namatay si Kuya Rey. God bless them. Padayon lng ta ani. There will be a right time for everything. Jia you!

We're Friends Now

I think we have already established a friendship. I'm sure I can message him on Facebook whenever I want. Mobawos ra mn na sya if ganahan siya. It's just a simple exchange of ideas oi. I pray for the best! I asked him why he's moving to DLSU. Coz of research daw, coz they are #1 in research. Cge po. Anti-Marcos siya. I think due to the fact that taga-ADMU mn siya, so biased sya's dilawan. Jia you Sir, all the best to u always! ;) I also asked him if sya japon ang course leader sa 2nd batch of TCW training. Oo daw kay Ateneo mn iheld. Tiring daw, wala na sya'y break. Heheh, nigawas ang boy in him. But I'm sure we've become better friends. Usually mornings mn na sya moreply. But for this one, late nas gabii. Around 22:32 na iyang reply. Cge lng Doki, cherish the friendship you've made with this new ADMU person. God bless! But then last Tue 13 Dec 2016 I think I said or did something wrong. He was talking mn gud of anti-communists when he suddenly said he's in Tokyo for a seminar. Out of surprise pud sa iyang gisulti I said ' go ahead, I dun wanna bother u in any way'. Wahh, was he offended by what I said? I hope not. Hang on Doki. Daghan kaju mo'g kaila in common. Coz pareho ra mn gud mi'g line of work. Cge

Sylvia, VU, Possible PhD

I emailed my friend in VU, Sylvia vd Bunt today. I told her I'm interested to do a PhD with them. She replied by sending me information about the Amsterdam Business Research Institute. I asked if they have scholarships. She told me to send my CV, application and proposed research. Wow, I pray for the best. This could be it, Lord! What a very nice Sinterklaas gift indeed. I pray for the best! ;)

Christian

I had to overcome my demons with him as I meet this new guy from ADMU too. Coz he left me with so much heartbreak back in SG in 2005-2006. All because I was having such a hard time in my program and needed every friend that I could get. Besides, gwapo pud sya nya taas and puti. I think that's my type. As early as Dec 2005 I knew that he had a girlfriend alrdy. I saw his note man that said 'buy a card for Princess'. But trio mn lagi mi so when we came back after Christmas break, we got together in The Deck. Jayeel gave each of us a copy of PDL, The Purpose-Driven Life. It had his own personal message. I still have the book at home ;) By February 2006 around Chinese New Year, I saw his Friendster of him and his Princess. Aray! She's a girl from Pangasinan, maybe they were officemates. He worked there man, in a power plant by Mirant in Sual. (We passed by it last May when my sisters and nephews went on a trip to Pangasinan then La Union. Hundred Islands in Alaminos man amo first stop). Anyway, the real heartbreak came in Holy Week 2006 when his gf came to visit him in SG. He msgd me to ask for the time of the Easter Vigil service. Kauban kuno niya iya gf oi. Kasama ko sya, ipakilala ko sana sya sa 'yo. Wahhh, kasakit! That must've been the saddest Easter of my life. I remember that the next day during Easter Sunday Mass at 10am, I also went but I avoided meeting her. Di ko kaya! But by God's grace we were able to rescue our friendship. I saw him man at the Computer Centre (CC) after my exam on Singapore Economy. We went to McDonald's SDE and talked about her. Ayun, probinsyana sya... Kung di nga naman kayo pareho mag-isip... But that's not all there is to it yet. In May 2006 while I was waiting for my grades, I'd see him sa Computer Centre every now and then. He'd encourage me always. 'Bilib nga ako sa yo e. Mahirap ang pinagdadaanan mo but nakikita kong di ka sumusuko'. '30 y.o. k mn, mukha ka pa ring mas bata kaya ok lng' Hay kasamok aning taga-ADMU diay. Na'nay gf nya motan-aw or mangita pa jud ug lain. Syempre, kay di p mn gud sila minyo! Basin gusto pud niya nga ako sya ipaglaban. Coz he lost his gf, the great Janice Isabelle Lao who went to Oxford to study. She studied in USC-TC for a while. Mao to iya gigamit na link in order to ask for my age. Asa ka anang, 'Anong year ka ba nag-graduate sa USC?' He had to blink gud when I said 1996. But the best memory of that afternoon was Bishop Nicholas Chia's 'bless the young couples who are here with us this pm'. Hahah. I must have been beaming then. And I went to that mass wearing my famous cargo shorts. Morag tua ni Ate Ica na to nga shorts, kupas na. We had satay for dinner. He introduced me to sugar cane juice at the Clementi MRT station. I'd also be damned if he didn't look at my legs while he was looking at some electronic product didto sa shop. Boys talaga.. The last memory would have to be 26 May 2006 Monday afternoon. I was packing my things then when Nicky Kheh called me up. I went to Econ Dept. He got on the bus just when I got down in AS block. I took a very long time to go home. Naglakaw ra gud ko ato. It was alrdy dark then. I found him near our block. Sa may DVD shop. 'Iba kasi pag nasa malayo ang gf mo. Masakit masyado sa ulo'. Ok. Sabay kuno mi uwi. I said via Clark mn siya; via Cebu mn ko. Then he said magluto daw mi sa amo apartment. I said ayaw na kay di ko ganahan manghinlo sa bay. Sa The Deck na lang mi lunch with Jayeel on May 31 then we also met up sa Holland Village. Mao ni ang expat, expatriate episode. Di mo alam na anak ni LKY si Lee Hsien Loong? Hello, welcome to Singapore! Makigsuroy pa ta sya nako sa Lucky Plaza. Wala jud ko. Sakto ra cguro pud kay basin iya ra ko gipahilak ato. Nagminyo na gud sila ni Mischelle last April 18, 2008. Duha na ila anak ron, sila Jandi ug Jacob. We keep in touch. I had to cancel my FB friend request kay wa jud nija actioni. SA LinkedIn ko niya giadd. All the best to us always, Christian. See you when I see you! ;)

40 is the new 30 ;)

Pastilan oi. When I told him that 41 na tawn ko nya Ate n lng niya ug sa iya kauban sa work, he said 40 is the new 30 :) Hahah, pagsure diha Dong oi. Daghan na ko gipamati sa lawas, di mada na. But at least I'm happy that I can still attract young men at my age. Per Nemia Zacarias, di mn gud kuno maklaro sa ako nawong nga 40 n ko. True, coz so many women in their 40s look so much older than me. So jia you Doki. Thank God for my fresh face and fresh outlook in life ;)

Friends

Since I told him on 28 Nov morning that I could've met him in the past, I know that we've become friends. A friend told me man that he went to his mom's lecture on the RH Bill in UP last October 2011. I was there pud coz I was one of the participants of the training. We were required to attend it. In fact, I remember nga nalate pa mi ato kay our session was at University Hotel while the lecture was at College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD) where his mom was and is still connected. I said coincidence lang. In response he said 'friend mo rin si mom?'I said no coz we never talked. But I know a friend from Zamboanga who's a personal friend of his mom. So you see, we do have a lot of people in common. Taga-academe ra mn gud mi. I was online last Monday when he replied. Yday I asked him why he's moving to DLSU. Coz that's what the story in CDN last Sunday 28 Nov said. He replied real time. He said #1 daw sa research ang DLSU. Okay. So it means he'll be working with Xiao Chua in future. All the best po! ;)