ATE LARNS AND MARGIE

Y'day 6/26/21 I chatted with Ate Larns and Marge on Messenger. They are my PP elders. I met Marge gud for lunch at Vego Salad Resto when I was in PP last March 2019. She gave me very good advice; I always put it to heart. From Vego near Wat Lanka she took me to Aeon Mall 1 and treated me to bingsu dessert there. And I used to live with Ate Larns in Toul Tompoung so xempre elder jud n xa. She and her niece prepared dinner for me and my mom when we visited PP in October 2013. I remember that K-Mart also joined us then. And twas Ate Larns who picked me up from the bus stop (and also sent me to the bus) when I visited last March 2019. I would always appreciate their advice. God bless us always!

TEXTILE

I became interested in textile after coming across a book about textile from Pakistan. And this afternoon, I am listening to a webinar by Dr. Stephanie Coo about 19th century Philippine textile. I remember my giveaway from the Cebu Business Forum talk. They gave me one box of cards coming from the Ayala Museum in Manila. It featured clothing during Precolonial Philippines. I gave out all of my cards sadly. The last 2 I gave to Mike and Aunty Helen when I was in Hawaii 2 years ago. I gave one each to my siblings, one to Mam Charlotte in Dumaguete, one to Mam Vi and I forgot already to whom I gave the remaining two. Jia you Doki.

GABRIELLE (+) PETITO

She's in the news these days. She's a travel blogger diay from Long Island, New York who went on a vanlife trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie of Florida across America. She's 22 while the guy is 23. They set out in July 2021 p diay from New York. Then late August 2021 her parents reported her missing na. It is said that her body was found in Teton National Park in Wyoming. Then si Brian returned to their house daw in Florida with the van but without the girl. And a warrant of arrest has been issued against him coz he used mn diay her ID and debit card in order to withdraw money in the amount of $1,000. Ah so mao toy iyang gigamit to escape. Coz his parents said he didn't bring any phone or wallet daw. But mao lng pud nakanindut sa America. Coz police stopped Brian and Gabby in their van somewhere in Moab, Utah man coz there was a 911 call. When the police approached, they found the girl crying p jud. So they interrogated the 2 separately. I think after this, they separated. Si Gabby daw slept on the van while Brian slept in a hotel. This is a story that needs to be resolved jud because the girl is very young. Jia you to us always!

TCW RT

Lingaw kaju ni sila nga klase naho karon nga sem. (I had GE 102 mn pud last sem nga ing ani pud kadaghana lagi). Diha jud nag-ingon nga sing in class lagi kuno oi. Si Brent Austin Gines. Niingon p jud ug 'love you too'. Pastilan. Kay magchar2 mn kos klase lagi, maghum p ug tune! Online classes are lingaw ra mn lagi pud. Tomorrow I will meet my Dent classes n pud. Jamu-jamuan lagis kadaghan ang among mga klase oi. Jia you to us always!

FORMER USSR

Morag up and coming n pud ning dapita. Na'na gud koy mga Pinoy nga nailhan who travelled there or are there in the area themselves. Si Mam Alona Gutierrez used to teach in Kazakshtan mn cguro to. Then si Prof Jose Tongzon is now in Tashkent, Uzbekistan gud, with Inha University campus there. Si Nemia travelled to Armenia before from Dubai. Si Sir Samuel Bernal has a branch in Riga, Latvia pud for his Protek business. I was in ISS when I met someone from Tajikistan and intern daw xas International Court of Justice nearby. He neeeded access to an email so he asked me for help. This is what my brother would always tell me: that I can let my guard down if I'm outside the country but never in Metro Manila jud. Heheh. Way to go Doki! ;)

SERENDIPITY

Last Sunday mn cguro to, si Sir Morse Barzalote said God-sent daw ang motunga lang ug kalit. Today 9/21/21 btaw kay diha jud nikalit lang ug chat nahos Messenger lagi. Taga Taiwan siya. And it's even his bday today. Wahh, aho n raba sijang giingnan nga friends ra mi kay tua lagi uban. Niingon ra mn pud okay. Okay ra lagi kuno nija. But he did tell me jud that he likes me and that he's comfortable talking to me. He came here in Philippines daw one time kay diha sijay nameet taga Bacolod. Morag it didn't work out jud. Niingon ra tawn sijag he wants someone kuno who will love him regardless of age. Well, kung mobalik p lagi to maayo. Kung di, wa n pud koy mahimo. Mam Vi said ayaw n kuno ingon ug friends lang kay basin interesado daw. Hay good luck Doki. It seems now or never! ;)

PANDEMIC LESSONS

I dunno why but since the pandemic started last year, I felt that nicoincide xa with certain events in my life. I sent money to my good friend in Singapore gud, Sheryl Navarez Wu so that mabayran nako ang akong outstanding balance with NUS. Twas the start of the pandemic coz Chinese New Year mn to panahona. Then today, on the death of her dad sadly due to covid, I have been able to send her some money. Nakautang mn pud ko niya sauna kay nagneed mn ug money si Reymar pagpanganak ni Abbey in Butuan. Then ang nahitabo btaw was I didn't plan to vaccinate and even renew my passport so that di ko maghuna2 ug larga. As it is, today 9/20/21 I got my 2nd dose of the Sinovac vaccine at UCLM backgate vaxx site. Then akong huna2 ron is magparenew n lng pud kos akong passport pohon kay sabot n mn jud mi ni Teresa to meet up in Cambodia after this pandemic phn. Jia you Doki sa mga plano. Keep the faith lang jud always! ;)

SWAN

He does have posts about swans. Swans are graceful man gud. And they symbolize loyalty and honor daw. Cge, jia you to us always. May the best man win! ;)

MY BROTHER IS BACK IN EUROPE

For some reason, my brother tested positive daw for covid-19 so nadelay iyang larga. He is back in Europe now; Hamburg, Germany to Russia kuno tong ilang byahe. I met my brother's ship in Amsterdam in March 2001. Nibalik p gani ko atos port kay 2pm man ang iyang ingon but 7pm n mn sila naabot. I went back to the train station n lng then took a taxi padung didto pagkagabii. I met him at Lucky Plaza in Singapore too in September 2005, along with his fellow shipcrew and I sent them off at the Port of Singapore. I know that he missed home when he talked of distance and ang iyang reference kay from ila Nong Andres Sato kuno to Tubigon Centro. I told Christian before that I feel sad whenever my brother leaves for work. He said then that choice nya yun kaya I can only pray kuno for his safety always. Mao jud. My brother has a family now and tua n pud xa puyo sa Matabao, sa lugar sa iyang asawa. Tua n pud silay farm didto coz xempre for retirement phn. God bless you always Dong. Thanks again for being very supportive of your pasaway asahay nga Inse Doki. God will repay you ra a thousandfold. Amen.

MINDANAO RELATIVES

Daghan jud mi'g mga paryente didto kay land of promise mn gud ang Mindanao sauna. Malukop gud ug bakasyonista ang Cawayanan sauna ug taga-Mindanao kung tingpista n lagi. Ila anhing Inse Petron nga bay daghan jud na ug bakasyonista. I first came to Mindanao alone in end March to early April 2014. From CDO I took the bus to Davao City. Then from there another trip to Carmen, Davao del Norte first. Didto ko ila anhing Tiya Avelina then ila Tiyo Nostring. Tuganay diay kuno pangan atong ilang dapit. Basta I remember passing by so many bananas for export before reaching their place. Then from there I went to Tagum na, ila Tiyo Joven. The next day nibalik ra pud ko ug Cebu. Then I was in Valencia, Bukidnon in February 2016 for Tiya Imping's funeral then last April 2019 to see Uncle Joven and family.

DALI/ILAD

Sir Morse Barzalote told me that di daw magdali. Oo kay ang bale sa dali kay ilad lagi. But this guy from Taiwan came just out of the blue. Sija n kaha Lord? All the best to us always. God bless! The only way to forget an old flame is to light a new one. Haha, hope springs eternal :)

TCW KLASM8S

I developed great friends ra mn jud pud sa among The Contemporary World (TCW) training last October 2016 at USC-TC. National training man gud to, first generation lagis TCW. That was the first time jud I was able to participate in a training of that magnitude. Gruelling pud tong 3 weeks nga among gispend oi. Kay daghan n mn ang gusto mobackout kay 75% lagi ang passing. But we were all able to pull it through, with camaraderie and liveliness lng jud. Katawa gud kos akong memories lagi from that training. I think the best one was Mam Gracia quickly saying no when she was asked if couple b sila ni Dr. Gary Lapiz sa ilang Singapore nga presentation. Then si Sir Emmardy Barbecho pud kay gipurungan para mahimong babaye. Actually I wasn't the first choice to attend it. Napugos lng si Atty. Hortelano to nominate me coz scheduled n mn si Sir Vlad to leave for Ilocos Norte lagi. Diha n silay ticket ug hotel booking gud. As it is, gibagyo btaw n ang Ilocos so wa sila nadayon. Heheh, para nako jud diay to nga training. Amen. As it is, only a certificate of participation ra ang giaward nakos organizers. They were actually my former department sa USC. Personal reasons cguro ang gigamit sa organizers for not giving me the certificate of completion. Di mn k kahost gud ug training if wa kay certificate of completion. Cge lang, I got a CHED scholarship mn pud so wa ra japon ko nawani. Kachat p gani nako that time si Dr. Leloy Claudio among lead trainor. Actually kauban mn gud silas ADMU ni Jayeel 'Leeyaj' Cornelio maong wa n lng ko mobida that time. I avoided being close to Sir Leloy gud during the training. After the training n gud ko nagpadala ug postcard for Leeyaj and I also gave him a postcard. Anyway, I was part of Group 3 English then with the following: Mam Charlotte Cariño of Foundation University, Dumaguete; Sir Herbert Rosana of Bicol University in Legazpi, Dr Ana Janet Pinlac of CEU Manila, Dr Rhene Tabajen of ADMU then (now he's with U-Mak); Mr Haniford Bararodin of Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City; and si Bryan Joseph Bango of Ateneo de Zamboanga who eventually withdrew from the training. We have a Facebook page and I remember giving away 50 riels to the friends that I met on the training. Jia you to us always! :)

MAM MILA

I met her and Mam Rutchiel on the 1st Saturday of March sa SM Seaside. They are my classmates from USJR DPE and are now teaching at the government high school in Naga City. Didto jud sila nag-ingon nga 'first come, first served' lagi kuno. Napressure gud ko ato kay that time si Yodep from Dubai mn jud ang nag-ingon lagi nga mouli sya ig August. Last year p gud to siya naghisgot. Sus intawn. As it is, wa jud xa kauli kay delta variant happened lagi. Lingaw ko kaju ni Mam Mila. She said ganahan jud lagi daw nako kay moalibi n lng gud kuno nga moari ug Cebu aron makakita nako. Sus, may n kaju ug tinuod Mam Mila. Asa k anang 'If he has property in Parañaque, what would he be doing in Cebu?' Long-term lagi daw magstay so motan-aw n lng kuno pud ug Cebu. And Mam Kath pud told me that I have to give him a chance daw. But then asa n mn lagi xa oi? Nindut n jud kaju sija ilisan lagi. Mao tong ingon ni Mam Ophel nga may lagi'g napa xay balikan mam. Hahah. Okay. Happy weekend!

IRAN AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Twas in Holland that I learned a different perspective on the Middle East. We had co-participants gud from Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt etc. I was even approached at the ISS stairs by somebody from Takijistan coz he needed access to email daw. He was intern daw at the International Court of Justice and wa p pasudla. That's what I miss in Europe, the openness and the friendliness. Europe makes you think that there's nothing you cannot do. And I miss being asked on the street for directions somewhere. I was walking towards Centrum when somebody tapped me on the shoulder to say 'Molenstraat?' I knew it was somewhere in the area so I just told her to ask somebody else. Then I remember walking home from Konmar when a Greek couple asked me where Panorama Mesdag is. I told them it's just across the street. Heheh, feeling local gud ko ato; as if I've lived in the Hague for a very long time! Anyway, dugaya n ato oi. Twas 20 years ago. And Europe is very far away now. Pasalamat jud ko nga niadto ko while I was still very young. Jia you Doki! ;)

MAM HERALD

She was secretariat for our training of The Contemporary World (TCW) last October 2016 at USC-TC. She came to CDU when we needed a teacher for TCW after Sir Jam left. She even stayed here in Palm Heights with me overnight and left her T-shirt upstairs. As of the moment, she's teaching with UP Baguio so she would leave in October daw phn. She would have wanted to see me daw before she'd leave but I said mahadlok mn lagi ko mogawas so basin next year n lng daw mi kita. I told her andamon n lng iyang surfing outfit. Hahah. All the best Mam Herald Margarette Canoy. Keep in touch and see you around! ;)

ALAGA

Madon told me today to go for someone n aalagan daw ko, not the other way around. Well, si Yoyong has already taken care of me when he came here in October 2017. Iya mn tawn gihaplasan akong likod lagi. Then si Richard Alfajora pud kay vocal jud xa to say nga xa n lng kuno alaga nako. But then luod mn lagi n xa asahay oi, garapal kaju ng ijang text messages. Asahay balak2an p ko morag estatwa. So I dunno jud asa ko ani Lord. Si Uncle Linus once told me that it is better to be an old man's darling than a young man's slave kuno. Intawn oi. Basta continue to pray lng jud ko Lord. Amen. Your clock is neither early nor late but just on time baya. I keep the faith. Amen.

DICTIONARY

People would sometimes call me a walking dictionary coz I was spelling champion man lagi back in high school. Makatawa lng ko. Kaingon gud si Rowanne nga makaukab xa'g dictionary with this guy. All the best always, Rowanne. And thanks for all the support always. Basta mochat ko niya, mobawos ra jud n sija dajon. Mora pud ug si Glenda Zamora b. Mao ng kaingon si Madam Helene Sanchez Barayuga nga I am very lucky kuno to have friends who would support me in my lovelife. God bless us always indeed. :)

SOUTHEAST ASIA/ASEAN

I do have an interest in Southeast Asia and or the ASEAN. Gusto mn gani ta ko moenrol sa Master in ASEAN Studies that I saw from UP Open University. I have been in Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam n man as well as in Singapore-Kuala Lumpur and of course I live in Philippines. So I have been to at least 6 countries of ASEAN. I would love to visit Indonesia and of course Laos phn to visit Tita Sonia and family as well as Hanoi kay duol2 and Yangon pud. Mary is still in Bangkok. Depende n lng lagi ni tanan oi. Happy Wednesday to us all! ;)

OPHELIA

She has a very nice name. It's derived from Shakespeare's Hamlet diay. She was a young noblewoman of Denmark who eventually got mad and drowned. Kalooy pud. Anyway, good friends n jud mi ni Mam Ophel Gabrillo. NItug-an n mn jud siyas iyang ex love interest. Dili jud to siya mao. Kay morag lahi jud iyang gusto. Anyway, mahibaw-an ra mn jud nis unahan lagi kung unsa jud. Jia you Doki, keep the faith lng jud always.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

True, any relationship includes family and friends jud. Kung nindut mn akong story sa Cambodia, mas nindut p jud ning Hawaii buyag. I have 3 signs n lagi that my late dad likes him. Then today, I have a very good college friend who told me that her brother is in Hawaii. Sa Army daw. I think she means sa Marine Corps Base (MCBH). I eventually learned from her that LDR pud silas iyang bana diay. She said if it means something to you Heidz, you have to make a way lagi daw. Jia you Doki, nakakita ra jud ka'g maask. Pero I remember pud what I read in the book, Lord. That he's a person to be loved, not a project to be tackled. Intawn nimo Doki. I remember what Jayeel used to ask me in NUS - Ganyan b ang faith mo Heide? Happy Tuesday everybody! :)

DIFFERENT

He once said that his Philippines is different in many ways. What did he mean by that? True, lahi n mn jud among commu this time oi. Lahi ra jud lagi sauna nga lingaw b, when hi/hello ra mis messenger and exchange lang of 'What are you doing this weekend' and 'Please enjoy your weekend'. Karon kay sparse and complicated n jud lagi, Lord. But Madon said malakas ang positive vibes daw when I told her of the weird thing that happened last Sunday 9/5/21. Asa mn jud kaha tawn ni kadung Lord oi? I'd still prefer the region Lord kung ako lng pud ang pabut-on. Cambodia would always be a happy place jud lagi. And I do feel at home jud when in Indochina. Jia you Doki!

AHH (STUDIO 1122)

Now I understand. Mao diay tong he sent me his picture with the little girl in the studio last year kay they have a new program diay at Olelo Community Media Center called Mele A'e. It aims to promote up and coming musicians sa Hawaii. They have a state-of-the-art digital studio gud called Studio 1122 worth milions of dollars lagi daw. Nya ako kay nagyawyaw lang nuon niya about how divided Filipinos are. Sus kalibutan ko b uroy lagi Lord no? But I think I told him in my previous email that we don't have similar facilities here in Philippines. Xempre oi, pobre ra gud mi diri. High incomes n gud sila mga Amerikano lagi. But as Mam Raquel Bercero would put it, nagpuyo ra lagi ming malinawon diris Pilipinas. Btw, 20 yrs na last Saturday ang 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York plus the Pentagon and unsa p to nga lugar. Sala pud n nila oi, nganong mangilog silas oil didtos Middle East lagi di b? Ang latest nilang giaway kay China man. Karon tua n pud kaguluhan sa Ukraine. Jia you to us all!

BURMA

There was a refresher course back in 2015 in Myanmar that I had to decline. Because I was doing my DPE at USJR Basak then. Two days ra mn diay unta to, December 7 to 8 but wa jud lagi ko niapply. Twas about affordable housing in Asian Cities. Tungod ato, di n ko paborito sa mga refresher courses. Coz I declined the one in Nepal man back in 2005 about Children, Youth and Development and also this one. But I guess I became less competitive lang cguro. I really dunno. I could've visited those two countries for free. At the global ISS meetup last July, the Rector Prof Inge Hutter said they are looking for more collaboration daw with people from the Global South. Due to my Phd here in Philippines cguro, di n ko inclined? I think I've formed a friendship with my exchange of messages with this guy named Eric Win at SEA/ASEAN Research Network. Lingaw ra mn pud siya. He can speak English ra pud. Btw my dream last night kay nisakay daw ko ug barko eventually. It must really mean that I can travel after pandemic pohon. I do hope so. I keep the faith lang jud lagi. Amen. Jia you Doki.

MELE A'E (RAISE THE MUSIC)

This is Olelo Community Media's newest television program using their state-of-the-art digital stage at their Mapunapuna headquarters in Honolulu. It's actually called Studio 1122. The program is hosted by ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. It features up and coming musicians in Hawaii. Nice ra pud. More power to them always. Btw if I Google 'mele a'e' the translation that would come out is embracing the music to come. Basta mao n to. I have watched the episode with Maka'ala Perry and Trishnalei. In one episode, si Miss Pomaikai Lyman ang nihost coz busy travelling daw si Jake. Happening ra mn pud lagi sila didto. American soil bya to. Happy Monday to us all!

MAM ROXY VALENCIA

She is my TCW classmate back in October 2016. Whole Philippines jud lagi to nga training. Si Sir Leloy Claudio among lead trainor ato. He was still with ADMU then. We had a Facebook group page man shortly after our training. Hinay2 n lng pud to nga nawala kay busy n mn pud lagi ang mga tawo. But I saw Sir Algene lagi, Dr Generalao sa One Central Hotel last November 2019. Siya ra pud naay chance nga pirmi nako makita. Di mn mi friends gud cguro nilang Dr Glenn Pajares ug Richard Fernandez sa FB. Cge raba jud to silag training sa TCW. Anyway, she msgd condolence to my post about Tiyo Edgar this morning. I msgd her n lng pud about Hawaii lagi. Hay pastilan. Kadaghan n nila oi nga ahong nasultihan lagi. I msgd Michelle Bolonos pud and Mam Society Salcedo. Happy Sunday to us all. Love love!

CAMBODIAN CHARM

I told him last year that I consider KH as my 2nd home. Kay he said RP mn daw iyang 2nd home. I added that Cambodians are very charming when they smile. I hope they get to keep their smile daw. Heheh. Then si Edward n to among gistoryahan; told him that I used to stalk his FB. What? Great, please invite me to the wedding! Then ang last ato kay about my distant uncle lagi nga gipangitaan tawn ko ug prospect. He lives in Laguna. I heard that Laguna is a nice place. About his Youtube channel. I hope I have enough time to watch at least 20 of them. Kahibaw n jud to siya nga maldita lagi ko. Ana ra mn jud ko mochat lagi niya. But then when I chatted with Teresa Low lagi y'day, I realized why isa n lng k message iyang ipada naho. Nalain diay siya lagi maong di n mochat. So need jud k maghimo or mohatag ug peace offering lagi Doki. Jia you!

MYANMAR INFRA WEBINAR

On Thursday, Sept 9 which is a holiday here in Cebu, I attended a webinar by Dr Courtney Wittekend about the infrastructure development in Myanmar. Eventually in the webinar, she shared a video about the opening of a certain bridge. Gimingaw nuon kos Cambodia sa iyang gibuhat. Duol2 ra mn lagi n silag kultura. Symbols mn diay pud ang sinuwatan sa Myanmar or Burma in the past. Lisud lng japon ang ilang sitwasyon ron kay nagcoup lagi ang ilang military against the govt of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Lahi mn ug timpla tong mga dapita kay if they don't like their sovereign, mag-aklas mn lagi dajon. Jia you to us all!

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES

Having been to at least 6 ASEAN countries (Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia and of course being from the Philippines), I know that I have an interest in this region. This morning I actually signed up to the ASEAN Youth Advocacy Network (AYAN). In the application form, ipaexplain p jud how you can fulfill the role you wanted in the network. What skills and experiences you have kuno. I actually applied as Project Assistant diay pud to Dr. Monk. It's a remote position and for 3 months, from September to December this year. I dunno pud if madawat b ko ato. Basta I have my online classes to mind jud, first and foremost. Tua n mn si Joseph Matthew Paez sa class list on CELO, so we can use Bongo n jud for our classes starting Sept. 14 phn. For 2nd dose raba jud tawn ko ig Sept. 20 phn. All the best n lng to me ani. Sir Vlad said okay ra lagi daw. Ngandam lng pud ko lagi daan ug paracetamol before ko moadtos vaxx site phn. Jia you Doki!

GROUP CHAT

Tua n mi group chat oi. So that na'koy mga kakampi. Kay di matabang jud lagi. Heheh. I'm sure malipay ra pud sila with my updates. Happy weekend. Jia you to us always! Yei Eun is from Incheon diay while Ji Eun is from Seoul but now in Bucheon kuno. I am learning something new every day. I searched on Google. The distance between Seoul and Incheon is 27 kms diay kuno. While the distance between Seoul and Busan is 325 kms. Mora2 ug Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. And about half of the distance between Kuala Lumpur City Center and Sepang where the international airport is located. Btw sabot n mi ni Teresa that magkita mis Cambodia phn after covid. I told her we'll talk more when wala nay restrictions. Jia you to our plans :)

EGYPTIAN

I met this Egyptian mn diay pud in December last year on Messenger. He just came out of the blue lang jud pud. He's mga 37 yrs old b to and working in Dubai as an accountant. He has many Filipino colleagues daw didto. I dunno, we haven't met in person man lagi. Pare2ha ra n silas byudo taga Talibon pud nga also working in Dubai. Katawa ko kay since last year p gud to sija ingon nga mouli sija ig August this year. Nya wa madayon lagi due to the delta covid variant. Well, panahon ra jud lagi mag-igo aning tanan. Good night to us!

RIP, TIYO EDGAR

He is Aunty Nita's husband. I saw on Facebook this morning that he has passed on. Morag gabii ra diay kuno at around 6 pm. Bedridden tawn tos Tiyo Edgar for 12 years per Ate Wewens. Intawn. Every time I'd visit him, he'd tell me that husto n kuno akong lawas, di n kuno patambok. I have heard of not so nice stories about him, saun tawo ra mn lagi. But rest in peace, Tiyo Edgar. Hinay2 n jud ug kahurot among elders. Morag si Aunty Helen ug Tiyo Joven n lng lagis side ni Papa plus Tiyo Fredo of course my ninong sa bunyag then Mama's half-siblings in Bukidnon sa pikas side. Jia you to us all!

BANTIL

Naa jud mi distinct dynamic lagi with my immediate sister. But Niña once told me lagi to be patient with my sister daw. The memorable event I could think of was last Sept. 2018 lagi nga I was in Manila to attend the PSA National Conference. Didto mn ko stay ila Lopoz ato. Sus, nangita lagi tawn sijag alibi aron makaadtos Manila. And lo and behold, nagsakay p jud mis jeepney which I took after I got down from Muñoz MRT. Heheh, gituyo sa mga kalag :) So nakakita jud sijas ahong gistayhan nga bay nila Lopoz sa Congressional Avenue sa Quezon City. But I have to say that morag bitter jud sija nga wa kauban sa Hawaii lagi. Tungod daw sa iyang record as OFW sa Taiwan in 1999 to 2001 and 2002 to 2005. Saun man lagi nga si anhing Aunty Helen kay ingnan man sija nga magpaparty kuno sijas Waikiki if tuay moadto didto nga taga Bohol. Heheh. Then naglisud sija'g tubag oi when nimsg si Aunty nija nga sija n lay plete lagi nija kuno to Hawaii. Sija may driver ni Aunty lagi everytime mobakasyon to sija. All water under the bridge n to oi, ang mga nahitabo lagis Hawaii July 2019 nga trip. I'm on my new passport n gud nga 10 years ang validity lagi bujag. Jia you to us all and aloha! Morag nahiluna n mn siguro sijas Palawan with her life and work there as chemist sa Ospital ng Palawan (ONP). Barkada man sila ni Mam Melba Cos Mendoza nga ilang HR head. So tan-awn n lng ni tanan. Ikaw n mag-igo, Lord. Amen po.

ROYALIST

I am quite a royalist pud. I bought a copy gud of the tribute to Princess Diana of Wales when she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. When moreport p pud mis office, cge jud ko'g sunod ato sa storya nila Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Yesterday, following the mention of my sister of a rich family there in Palawan, I bumped into the story pud of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. Taga Australia mn diay iyang asawa, si Mary Elizabeth Donaldson from Hobart, Tasmania. They met during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games daw. He is very active in sports and till lately, even a member of the International Olympic Committee. She is a marketing consultant. Anyway, she looks very much like the current queen of Denmark, Queen Margrethe who is 81 yrs old n daw. Si Princess Mary had adjusted to royal life very well. They have 4 kids gud. I saw the video of their official visit to Australia in 2011. She is very pretty and sweet bujag and very relaxed in her role. In contrast to the British royalty who are quite stiff but very glamorous. Anyway, there are rumours daw that si Queen Margrethe might abdicate or retire coz si Princess Mary has been appointed Regent n mn pud daw. Wow, amazing! Their eldest son, Prince Christian is about 16 years old so medyo secure n pud silas ilang succession. Today I saw in the video that the royalties of Denmark, Sweden and Norway are very close n these days when in the past they were fierce enemies kuno. Basta, the future monarchs of Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden will be women. Si Prince Charles tawn ang oldest future monarch kay di mn jud lagi mobitaw si Queen Elizabeth II sa trono. But all of Europe's royals are related. Jia you to us all!

ALOHA

This word is very much ingrained in Hawaiian culture. Ultimately it means love. In a previous video I watched, it said that aloha means to put your mind and body together b to in order to welcome others. Aloha means togetherness daw gud, like flowers strung on a lei. I asked Kekoa Giron last December 2020 what this word means and he said it means hi, hello and sincerity to someone. Hawaiian language has many layers man gud. And I learned that they have a meaning for all the letters of this word - ALOHA. Ahonui (kindness), Lokahi (unity), Oluolu (agreeableness), Haahaa (humility) and Ahonui (patience) with all their correspoding English translations. Well, I may have found another friend there. She is a food blogger. God bless us all! ;)

DOORS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

This is one of my favourite songs, along with "It Might Be You", "Born for You", "Got to Belive in Magic", "Don't Give Up on Us" etc. It just has very honest lyrics. Good luck to us all, happy Tuesday! ;)

R.L.

He told me in May 2017 during our silver anniv celebration that he wanted to marry me. Actually gihijack kos akong klasm8s the next day kay he wanted to talk to me. Didtos mis Macaas oi with the Banhaan group. They made sure nga magstorya jud mi. But I told him then that wa koy plano nga mobalhin sa Manila n lagi. Then diha mn tos Mama Mary of Fatima sa Tubigon that time. Lo and behold when I came back to Cebu, nitext si Coach nga padung sila diri for some games. So naerase to sija for a while. Chat2 n sijas Messenger lagi. He'd ask me kung kinsa daw akong male friends pag high school. Tungod mn tos Ang Probinsyano gud nga magshooting sa ilang worksite. Pero wa mn ko kaujon gud sa nahitabo kay nahug nga giintroduce ko nijas ijang mga igsoon without my consent. Didto mn mis bay sa ijang mga igsoon ato pagkahapon, nagluto mi ug sabaw. Then when I was in Manila for the PSA National Conference in September 2018, I met up with him on the last day of our conference. When I was in Manila diay pud in August 2018 for my visa interview at the US Embassy, he said nganong 3 days ra daw ko didto. Xempre kay na'may trabaho sa Cebu Dong. He used to say diay pud nga di kuno sija katuod sa Cebu. Mas anad jud sijas Manila kay pila k tuig n mn lagi sija didto. Di mn nindut ang nahitabo oi last Sept 2018. Maong di jud ko nija. I would later on learn that nangapo n sija kay nanganak mn ang ijang unica hija. Psalm Ruedan kuno ang name sa ijang apo. Then ang latest nga nahitabo is with his sister. She once told me that makapakaon daw pud sija naho bisan ug biko. Kay wa mn ko modajon ug bisita lagi nijas Compostela. Anyway, niari sijag Cebu last April 2021. Aho n lng gud gipadeliver ang cover sa cabinet nga ahong gipatahi nija. Giinvite ko nijag pista sa ijang manghod lagi kunos Compostela. Wa jud ko moadto. Kahibaw ko nga daku n sila pamilyaha kay good friends mn ni Dodong ilang younger siblings. Aprub pud n sija ni Igan ug Crispin, ahong mga agaw. But his younger sister lagi told me that galante diay kuno n sijas mga amigo/amiga. Palitan daw niya ug mga sapatos or sandals kung mangajo. Naghisgot mn to sija nga mouli lagi kuno sija ig November phn. Heheh. Basin kalag2 or Pasko n lng ko uli phn. He said minimum ra lagi daw ijang sweldo sa Manila. And naglisud lagi sija ron kay sija may nagsupport sa ijang anak ug apo. Baw oi, kalisud b. Palahubog mn pud n sija gud. Maong kasinabot sila ni Igan. Silingan gud kuno silas Macaas. Hahay. Mercie once told me that di daw pailad. And May said mao daw gusto sija magminjo naho kay mas daku p mn ko'g sweldo kaysa nija. Tan-awn n lng ni tanan oi. He once said naa n ta kuno to, napakgang lang. Oo kay nagpada n gud to sijag ijang pic lagi from work. Naputol lang kay diha may not so good circumstances naabot. I pray for the best lang jud Lord. I wanna be happy but I wanna be true to myself pud in that happiness. So I always ask for God's guidance. Jia you to us all! ;)

S0 MANY QUESTIONS

One of my favourite OPM singers Side A band had a song with the abovementioned title. The chorus of the song goes: "So many questions, but the answers are so few. All I really know is, I love you". Char kaju oi. It was used as the background music for the shampoo advertisement of Richard Gomez and LUcy Torres many years ago. Happy Monday everyone! I have a Bandemonium CD pud lagi which features OPM bands. Jia you to us always :)

CAREN

Caren told me that if may dumating, grab mo. Thanks Caren. Wish you all the best with your Nicky. Good luck and all the best always!

2nd VIRTUAL OKINAWAN FESTIVAL

Due to the pandemic, the Okinawan Festival this year is virtual for the 2nd year in a row. Sila mn diay ang largest ethnic festival in Hawaii. And the president of Central Pacific Bank (CPB) is of Okinawan descent man so major sponsor nila. Amazing! Pre-pandemic they were at the Hawaii Convention Center n gud. For this year, there was even a live feed from the president of the Argentina Okinawa Center. And I understand from the promos that there will be a performance from a singer in Argentina with Okinawan heritage. Grabe n oi. I was able to watch the live streaming for Day 1. I hope to watch the live stream for Day 2 too. God bless us always!

UCHINANCHU

This is the term daw for the Okinawan immigrants of Hawaii and their descendants. This is to separate themselves daw from those of the 4 main island groups of Japan. This girl Pamela Young even said that they have a saying daw in Okinawa that if you meet people, they become your family. They have a virtual Okinawan Festival this weekend. All the best always!

FRIDAY 9/3/21

I had to email him my takeaway from that webinar with Prof Xiao Chua. That covid is already upon us, we just have to be kind. Happy weekend to us all! Naay virtual Okinawan Festival this weekend. I will watch some of the activities on their Facebook or Youtube channel. They were talking of international performers. Naa daw taga Argentina nga Japanese Okinawan cguro moperform oi. Wow! Btw I learned that Brook Mahealani Lee has many races/ethnicities. But basically, her dad is half Korean daw and her mom is Chinese-Caucasian. So halos tanang lahi n to ang naa niya except Japanese. Jia you!

CHAR2

Nagchar2 jud kos akong klase today. In the morning (730 am class), napansin naho dajon when one of my students made a pouting icon sa public chat when I noticed that my PPT was reformatted by Bongo. Then another student said hihihi when I said next time n to ang topic on Market Failure, di n to iapil sa coverage for the test next Friday phn. Kaingon gud to siya, morag Michael Chiu Wen b to iyang name nga 'kung ing ani p lng ang tanang teacher. thank uuuu mam' daw. Buyag oi! Coz I also told them man nga I can give them till Monday to do their task if di jud nila makaya by Sunday phn. Then in my later class (1030am), nalingaw ko when dihay isa k student (John Micheal Velez I think was his name) nga nangita ug grupo and this girl named Genieve de los Santos man cguro to, told him on the Bongo public chat that she msgd him n daw sa FB Messenger. So nakahuna2 ko dayon that basin naay loveteam mabuo sa among klase. Nihirit p jud ko nga basin naay magselos heheh. Then the guy responded by saying that I am enjoying it a bit too much daw. Pastilan! Well, ana mn jud ang mga in love lagi oi. We just can't help but share it jud with the world. Happy weekend! ;)

KINDNESS

I attended a webinar given by the eminent historian Prof Xiao Chua today about pre-colonial Filipino society. My takeaway from that seminar was when he pointed out the kindness, the pakikipagkapwatao of precolonial Filipinos. He said gud that Magellan and his men did not come to us strong daw. Rather, they came here destitute daw as they had been travelling at sea for 90 days without food and with some men sick or something. He said were it not for the kindness of Filipinos, the first cicumnavigation wouldn't have happened daw. That is a really nice take on our history. And I remember how someone said that he admires Filipinos coz we are kind. Hahah. Of course, I remember the talk of Pope Francis also about how Filipinos are so easily forgiving of people's mistakes. We have people in our government gud who are associated with past dictatorships etc. Good luck n lng to us always!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

It will be Labor Day weekend in Hawaii this weekend. Nangabuang n pud sila didto ug kinombate sa delta variant. They were even talking of a 72-hour lockdown just so that their cases won't increase. Coz swarmed n mn ilang health care system. All the best to us always! I heard on the news last night, a mu variant from Colombia and another variant from South Africa. Basin hutdon p lagi ning Greek alphabet sa mga variant. Ig hurot sa Greek alphabet, kinsang alphabet n pud ang gamiton? Heheh. Happy Thursday everybody. Weekend n ugma phn!

HEINI?

Duha n mn jud lagi k video niya on his Youtube channel with this name. Heini, as in short for Heineken, a Dutch beer brand. But he has a video pud of Asahi beer from Japan. Unsa kahay pahiwatig ato nga mga videos oi? Hahah, jia you Doki. Hang tight! :)

SEPT. 1ST

Somebody once said 'You guys start in September'. And of course it's true. Coz we Filipinos start our Christmas season by September 1. In fact this morning, I heard Jose Mari Chan's 'Christmas in our Hearts' n jud and eventually 'My Idea of a Perfect Christmas' from Basak Fatima's sound system. Jia you to us all! Only 14,000+ ra ang cases reported today. Not like at the beginning of the week nga 22,000+ jud oi. Moabot ra lagi pud mi didto phn, nga moubos n pud among cases. God bless us always!