This Side of Heaven... where angels love to tread!

I am not usually excited about any new technologythat comes out especially in its early stages of development.
However, this new technology called "Sixth Sense" developed by Pranav Mistry promises to bring more eye-popping and amazing applications of technology that only men of vision would ever thought possible. Wonder how many years from now before we see this on the streets? A year from now..... 2... 3???

CNN just culminated the awards night for 2009 Hero of the Year and this honor went to the Philippines, Efren Penaflorida. When Efren started this project years ago, there were no awards of this kind yet and now with this recognition, this truly is a testament that no good deed goes unnoticed.

It is no secret that my country, the Philippines, despite the fact that we have left the Marcos years behind us for 23 years now, we are still beset with problems of poverty, corruption, government ineptness, and instability. More than ever, the masses still has not stop taking into the streets their dissatisfaction with some of our government officials due to their blatant incompetence. There are some individuals who enter politics not because it was a venue for them to truly serve their countrymen but as a way to hold on to power, to stay in the limelight and sustain their popularity or for others as a means to make a living. From what I see on TV and read from Philippine newspapers online, the rallies have not stop and it still continues as a way to show our government their disgust and force government officials to make changes.

However, there were some individuals who also went to the streets hopefully to make the change that they wanted to happen but the way that they did this was to go around the poverty stricken streets of Manila. Instead of banners, flags and chants of protests , this group of street workers had their cart/s filled with books, papers, pencils, blackboard and other school supplies to bring a teaching environment to kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to a real classroom due circumstances beyond their control.

It is true that learning does not only occur within the four walls of a school building but it can happen anywhere as long as you have a willing teacher and eager students. In this case, I am sure that the little children who have had this experience must have enjoyed the learning process regardless of where they get their lessons.

Efren Penaflorida and his group, the Dynamic Teen Company, took matters into their own hands with their pushcarts. Now more than ever, they will need our support so that they can go on with their work. We cannot rely on the government to sustain this project. Efren and his team did it on their own anyway...

The awards show will be broadcast on national television on CNN, November 26th (Thanksgiving day) at 9:00 PM, Eastern time.

Daughter Karrol is now also a contributing writer for a new online site called "AATheory". AA stands for Asian-American and this site was created by Ellie Lee (of Ellie Meets Talent), who together with other recruited AA writers, serve to feature and highlight Asian-Americans in their field of  greatness and accomplishments and bring them together in one online reader site. Check out AATheory's online presence and also one of Karrol's article on Justin Chon.

Anybody who has accidentally stumbled upon asian websites or blogs created by young asian teens would notice the cute factor and the almost narcissistic contents of their sites. However, as these young asians grew up especially those who are living outside of Asia, a growing voice of Asian-Americans or A-Canadians, or A-British and others, are getting louder, wanting to be not only seen, but most of all, be heard. And in light of this restlessness, the world wide web has served as the venue for our young kids to be noticed. Currently, the popularity and meteoric rise of Asian entertainers, most notably, those from Korea and Taiwan (in part due to the popularity of Asian dramas) has spawned the Asian craze. We should not also forget the contribution of Asian athletes that has brought admiration and respect for their accomplishments. Now it is cool for Asian kids to admire asian actors, athletes, singers, etc. embracing anything asian from food, to clothing, to Hello Kitty (& other new toy characters), to Manga, to Anime and so on and so forth.

Asian traditions and customs which were once disdained and unappreciated by the young ones is now gaining relevance and importance in an Asian's search for their identity, an identity which was never really lost or gone, but just hidden away, to be found in time when the individual is ready to embrace who they really are. And despite of the influence and confluence of two cultures in one's upbringing, one realizes that they can never escape their asian-ness.

There is a well-known adage that says "We must be the change we want to see in the world". Popularly attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, he did indeed embody the changes that he wanted to happen in his beloved India by his practice of civil disobedience through non-violence. In his lifetime and generation, he set the example for his countrymen to see that something can be achieved with enough determination, passion and love for one's fellowmen to bring about the needed reforms and give back India's autonomy.

In today's generation, the Philippines is also in need of a hero to bring the country forwards after it has suffered (and is still suffering) major setbacks for the last 2 decades or so. Emerging from this is an unsung hero who is doing his part in his own way and thought that the best way to make the poor rise from their misery is to educate them. Efren Penaflorida, who was by his account, also from the slums, had the background and the experience to practice what he preaches. Growing up, he realized that the only way out of his miserable life was for him to get an education. Now that he has somehow achieved his goal, instead of running away from his past and making a different life for himself, he, instead went back to the place where he started from with the intention of helping to educate the children in the slum areas who would not be able to get to a school at all. With his pushcart, he has books and other learning materials that he can use for teaching. To the skeptics, this must be an effort too minor to undertake that it isn't worth the time and effort..... but I am sure that for those children, who have not had the opportunity to step inside a school, it could have made a world of difference.

Efren together with a group of his friends who were committed to this idea formed "Dynamic Teen Company" and has made it their life's work and mission to provide the much needed education that would have alluded poverty-stricken kids in the slums if they didn't bring the school to them.


Because of this, CNN has recognized Efren Penaflorida's work and has been included as one of the finalists in the search for CNN Heroes for 2009. Anyone who believes in this worthy cause regardless of their country of origin is encouraged to vote and support this effort for this may be the start of a movement that could be applied not only in the Philippines but also to other countries with the same situation.

Voting for the CNN Heroes will be accepted until the 19th of November and the winner will be announced on the 26th, Thanksgiving day, at a special CNN tribute to be held at the Kodak Theater. Please vote and support Efren Penaflorida.

The Smith College's Botanic Garden will be holding its annual fall Chrysanthemum show at the Lyman Plant House and this year's theme will include bamboo sculptures. The actual date for the flower show will be from Nov. 7 through the 22nd. However, in conjunction with the flower show there is also an on-going photo exhibit from Oct. 17 until Dec. 15th of photographer Paul Meyer called "Exhibition: A Plantsman in Asia". Click here for more information, as well as dates and time of the exhibit and flower show.

I hope to be there for the fall show...

I spent this past weekend watching Ken Burns' latest masterpiece of a documentary called "The National Parks: America's Best Ideas" which ran a marathon of the series. For me it was worth spending half of the day completely enthralled since this latest work of Mr. Burns and his collaborators specifically Duncan Dayton is something that should have been done a long time ago. Even with the limitations of the tube, I cannot but feel the majesty of the scenes that have been carefully filmed together with the beautiful descriptions of the writers and poets who have made this documentary an interesting study if not a masterpiece.

It was well written and the cinematography is to die for. It has given its viewers a fresh new look (for those who have visited the national parks) or inspiration (for those who still have to visit). The narratives together with the sceneries were effective in relating the history of how the ideas of park preservation and conservation came about. It was really eye-opening and heartwarming that the men and women before us who, I believed, were pulled by divine inspiration to lead the way for next generation to be the keepers of the land and its resources.

I am glad that this has happened because just by looking at the direction that this country is going thru now, if there were no laws to preserve the national parks, we would not be enjoying its beauty and the vast resources that these places have to offer. Unbeknowst to many, these places should not only be preserved for its aesthetic value but also for the lessons that it teaches us as to the balance of nature and civilization's survival depends on it whether we are aware of it or not.

According to latest count there are 62 US national parks including those located in Hawaii, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands. My family and I have had the opportunity to visit 2 of them: the Grand Canyon located in Arizona and the Acadia National Park in Maine.

It was said in the documentary that you have to be there to feel and see the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. Our family had this chance to see the canyon. This was just a day trip that we took in 1999 when we were vacationing in Las Vegas, Nevada. We took a group trip which is a 2-hr ride by bus. Another place that one wouldn't miss since it is on the way, bordering Nevada and Arizona is the Hoover Dam which is a man-made marvel.

Words could never describe one's feeling or emotions upon seeing the gorges and deep gauges that makes up the canyon.  The gorge is 18 miles wide, a mile deep and 277 miles long. The immensity of this place makes one think how long the earth had been in existence to create the wonder that is right in front of you.

The Acadia National Park was also another park that we visited on our way to spend our vacation in Nova Scotia in 2001. Getting to the top of the muntain which is part of the Cadillac mountains was not that hard since you can drive up to top of the boulder and as always the view up there is fantastic with land, mountains and ocean encompassing everything that your eyes can see. It is also amazing to see birds in flight from that vantage point. Since we really did not spend enough time there the first time, I have made the effort to go there this Columbus holiday to visit the park at a time when the foliage will make its magnificent transformation of colors. I just hope that by the time we get there this coming weekend, the foliage will be at its peak.

Now it is my dream to be able to visit more national parks in my future. For the meantime, I will just have to contend with watching the show to enjoy the sights until I have the opportunity to visit them. This series is available not only on your public channels but also on dvds and with a companion book. And for those who won't be able to see this on tv, according to their website, full-episodes will be available online starting October 9th. Watch this show and be awed by the greatness of this country's beauty. I am sure that after you have watched you will feel blessed that we have had men and women who have had the forsight to devote their time, money and effort to preserve this land.

The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's highly anticipated book made it's debut last September 15th and according to the news media, it sold a million dollar copies on the first day alone of it's release.

Although I was eagerly awaiting the release of the book, I haven't really been following any news about it so I just learned recently before its release, that the book will weave around the Freemasons and their role in the creation of the United States of America.

My niece Bea just celebrated a birthday.... Here's a video that my sister & her Mom (moonyeen) made. Happy Birthday, Bea!

Woke up this morning and there was a strong chill in the air. We didn't turn the air-conditioning on and only have one window open throughout the house, but boy! it really did make me freeze this morning. It's September and this time of the year it's expected that after summer comes fall. Too bad, that summer here in the Northeast is too short you wont even know that it has come and gone.

I always have mixed feelings about "Fall"... hard to say why... maybe it's because I'm not too excited about the cold weather while my husband loved it. I don't mind cool temperatures and the slow transition from 75 to 60 degrees.... but please, like I've said slowly. I really am not happy to be basking in nearly 90 degrees one day and then waking up the next day in 35 degrees Fahrenheit... no exaggeration here! I've lived here in Massachusetts now since 1991 and my body still gets shocked from weather changes. I guess once a tropical animal.... always a tropical animal. I envy those birds who can migrate to the South where warmer climes are abundant and just come back to the East in the spring and stay thru summer.

Time to take out the winter clothes which I haven't really stashed or hidden away up in some attic like most people do here since I don't follow rules about proper dressing... I have my own set of rules which have raised some eyebrows from some people I know.

The things I love about fall though is the foliage which fortunately takes place in my neck of the woods, apple picking, cider donuts, blooming mums of varied colors, it looks like candy and a visit to the Cider Hill farm in Amesbury.

If you are in the Philippines and you are somewhere in the vicinity of the South Luzon tollway in Sta Rosa, Laguna you might have seen the Sakon Thai Restaurant at the Total Gas station. This is a Thai restaurant owned and operated by my cousin Eric. According to my cousin, he started with just one cart at a mall and he did everything: from cooking, to dish-washing, marketing and management. Through sheer hard work and determination, he has expanded his cart to a sit-down restaurant. Now, he no longer works by himself but has hired cooks and other staff to help him run the place. My uncle Boy, his father, sometimes works there to help out if he needs an extra hand. Knowing how good a cook my uncle Boy is, I am sure that Sakon Thai offers the best quality food you can buy for your money.

I look forward to visiting my cousin's restaurant when we visit the Philippines but in the meantime, I will just have to contend myself at looking at his photo menu which looks so temptingly good.

I am sure that a lot of people would share the same sentiments that I have and would like to take this opportunity to thank the late Senator Ted Kennedy for his service. Let us also not forget that his work took a toll in his personal and family life but in the end, he made up for it by leaving a legacy that we might never see again in our lifetime.

A wonderful tribute has been created online by the Boston Globe newspaper of Ted Kennedy and you can read it here.

Here is what the mystic poet, Kahlil Gibran, wrote about "Marriage" in his best selling book "The Prophet":

On Marriage
  - Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each others cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each others keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each others shadow.

This wonderful and inspiring passage from Gibran's book has been my guide for what I feel should be an ideal relationship especially one where a marriage contract is involved. There are many and varied types of relationships but the most complicated one of all is marriage for it involves the coming together of 2 different individuals bringing their own personalities, influences and backgrounds to merge all that has been accumulated from years past.

If by chance, one understands what Gibran was trying to convey in this message and one is lucky enough to be in such an ideal relationship, then I guess half of life's battle has been fought and won......

Finally after months of trial, error and utter frustration, I was able to upload this video that I've been working on since early January to Youtube. This is just a compilation of family, relatives and friends' photos in 2008. Patience is indeed a virtue... you get rewarded after months of waiting till the time is right :)))))))

I didn't break a sweat searching for this song... and I found the lyrics and the singer... Amber Davis.

Thanks to zsazsa1961 for sharing.

This video makes me want to go home...... baaadddllllllyyyy! Watch it and you'll know why...


Watch Planning a Visit to Manila (Philippines) in Travel Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Now, I can't get the song off my head:


might as well be my mantra until I finally go back home......


Song lyrics | Manila lyrics

Anyone driving thru 495 from the North going South would be familiar with the huge dog standing by this big patch of land off of exit 48 going towards Ward Hill in Haverhill. I remember getting excited whenever I see this dog not because I am a dog lover myself but because I love the art work and I am also curious as to why somebody would put this up along the highway. I even began to think that this must be a sort of a watchdog for a farm situated nearby since we would see signs every harvest time for fruit in season picking. (In the olden days, they have straw-made scarecrows to do the work...) As the years went by, I always tell myself that one of this days, I would take a photo of that dog on the highway. So I would always look forward to seeing this dog of steel proudly standing by the road.

However, 2 weeks ago, we saw a sign on the dog saying that it is on sale. I felt a little bit sad thinking that this whimsical art doting the highway will be sorely missed. I was sure that I was not the only one who share this sentiment...

As luck would have it though, while I was researching more articles for the Shoe-labration event in Haverhill, I happen to see that included in its calendar of activities is the "Big Dog Art" on display at the Bradford Common in Bradford, Massachusetts from the 6th thru the 11th of August. This also provided a link to the artist's online website and from there I learned that his family owns the farm where he set up the big dog (which I later read was actually 16 feet). I eagerly told my husband that we should go see the dogs on display on Saturday which he readily agreed to.

So yesterday, hubby and I had planned to take more pictures of shoes around Haverhill and more... and we weren't disappointed.

We went to Bradford Common first to see the dog art in the park. There on the park were 20 dogs which were about 7 to 8 feet tall and 1 smaller one which was maybe 4 feet. My husband and I freely took pictures and we notice that the park was getting its share of park goers with little kids all enjoying a nice day outside.

We luckily met the artist himself, Dale Rogers, who was pretty amiable and friendly. Talking to him gives one a perspective of the artist's passion for his art and his generosity since he likes to exhibit his art for free to the public as long as he has a venue. According to him, he even spends his own money to have his art moved from city to city or state to state. I guess that he takes great pleasure in seeing people's reaction to his works and most of all the appreciation of people who otherwise would not go to an art exhibit... And besides his type of art would be better displayed on a larger space or outside venue to truly appreciate the scope and magnitude of it. As a result, public display of his works gives him the opportunity to meet people and talk more openly with his art works without pressure on his part to sell nor any pressure on the viewers to buy which I think is what usually happens when you go to an art gallery.

We also learned that the reason why he is selling the "dog on 495" was because he wanted to replace it with a larger one and he wants to use the money to bankroll the project. This is one undertaking that I am eagerly looking forward to in the future.

Mr. Rogers does not only make dogs but he also have a gallery of his works which you can view on his online website. A truly talented young man, my husband and I hope that we could afford one of his works for our front yard pretty soon....

In the meantime, enjoy his works that are on public display in Haverhill. After the 11th, the dog exhibit will be traveling to NH and Maine and then it will be back in Massachusetts to be exhibited in Lowell, Beverly and Newburyport. One of the artist's wish is to be able to have his dogs put on public display in a more highly visible venue... maybe the public gardens in Boston since aside from the local residents, Boston is teeming with tourists most of the time year round. Let's hope that this won't be too far along in the future...

You can visit the artist's website for schedule and to learn more about his art.

I am so psyched.... here's a live performance of Clazziquai's new song and my personal favorite, "Tell Yourself". It's wonderful to watch "Mr Smoothie" himself, Alex, singing  live with Horan and DJ Clazzi.

Love it, love it, love it!!!!!!

The town of Haverhill, Massachusetts came together this year and decided to hold an art event to be participated by the community. As written in their mission statement:


3 years ago, Boston hosted the "cow parade" wherein cows made of fiberglass material were turned into a work of art based on the artists interpretations.

Though we live in Haverhill, we really did not know anything about the community project if it were not that one day we had to do errands in town and passing through Washington St in downtown Haverhill, a huge shoe display caught my eye prominently displayed on the sidewalk. At first I couldn't believe my eyes but when I saw not only 1 but 3 more, I told my hubby that we just had to go downtown on the weekend so I could take photos.

And so, last Saturday after doing errands at the Post Office, hubby and I took some time on Washington St. photographing  shoes... no, its not because I have an unknown number pair of footwear myself that would put Imelda to shame that peaked my interest but because of the art work itself (touche). For real!!!!

Here are some photos that we took:



The information on the web, mentioned that there are 15 shoes displayed around Haverhill and I only saw 4. Hmmm! I guess that this calls for another trip around the town this weekend. The shoes will be on display from July to October and will later be auctioned off on October 24th. Don't miss these works of art... it's worth the trip to Haverhill.

Former Philippine president, Maria Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, died early Saturday morning, August 1st 2009. After battling with cancer for a year,Tita Cory as she is lovingly called finally succumbed to her illness. A month before, people in the Philippines have already been doing prayer rallies and holding masses for her after they have learned that her condition turned for the worse.

Nothing was known much about her except for the fact that she was married to one of the most brilliant and charismatic personalities in Philippine politics, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino. During the turbulent years of the Marcos presidency, the Aquino family has suffered so much and have to endure a lot of pain and heartache for Ninoys ideology. I don't think his wife might have shared the same fervent love that Ninoy exhibited for his country but being a dutiful and loving wife, Cory stayed by his side and supported his political ambitions. Although, it didn't really hurt that much that they belong to one of the country's most affluent families, they were not spared the harsh realities of what a dictatorship can do to you regardless of your status and influence.

During the time that Ninoy was fighting for his political career, I felt that there was not much of a support for him coming from the Filipino masses. I guess that this could be attributed to the fact that since the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos came from the 1 % of the well-to-dos in a poverty stricken country, most Filipinos could not relate to them and think they are just into politics for whatever it could offer them aside from money ...  perhaps Fame, more Fortune and the most heady of it all, POWER.

However, all these things changed when Ninoy was shot and killed at the Manila International Airport (now "Ninoy Aquino" International Airport) on August 21, 1983 coming home to the Philippines after a 3 year exile in Boston, Massachusetts in the US. His blatant assassination woke the Filipinos from their slumber from political apathy. His death finally made the Filipinos realized that Ninoy truly loved his country and was willing to die for it as was his mantra for the several years that he was in jail. Or, maybe, he was a just an obstinate fool ... But whatever it was, Ninoy became the modern day hero of the Filipinos long suffering from the Marcos' oligarchy which then later on led to a full dictatorship.

His death brought to the forefront, his humble and quiet wife, who was more comfortable hidden in the background most of the time. Whoever, had the propitious idea to convince Cory Aquino to run for the presidency against Marcos in 1984 were either idealists or simpletons. I guess at that time nobody would really like to run against Marcos for to do so would be financial and political suicide. From what I remember, Cory took most of her advise from her spiritual advisers from the Catholic Church, being a devout and spiritual person herself. Besides, the thought that she could continue Ninoy's legacy and clear the Aquino name from all the charges brought up by the Marcos regime finally push her to accept the nomination. Unknowingly, it was a most auspicious move. From her nomination to her winning the presidency, everything about it was unconventional. Though at first, it seemed that she lost to Marcos during the snap election in 1986, the Filipino people catapulted her as the rightful winner by taking their sentiments to the streets with the rich, the poor, the young & the old, the church and later on the military all taking part in this momentous event in Philippine political history. This was the birth of the so-called "People Power". And for the first time in 26 years, the Filipinos took a stand and defied the Marcos regime amidst guns, tanks and uniformed officers still loyal to the Marcoses.

Though her presidency was wrought with a lot of uncertainties and ineptness, she tried her best to lead the country the best way she can. These however, drew criticisms to her even from those who initially supported her.  Sad to say but to take over the leadership of a nation, where 26 years of plundering by the Marcoses and his cronies, and restore the country towards a better future will be a gargantuan & herculean task to accomplished. Realistically, not even experienced statesmen, economists and businessmen could undo the damage that was left in the wake of the Marcos' greed and the thirst for power in a few years.

Cory might not have accomplished much during her years as president of the Philippines and as a result a lot of people where disillusioned but this has not diminished in any way her resolved to make a difference and set examples to her constituents. She stubbornly and continually lived a very simplistic life before, during and after her presidency shunning an ostentatious life even though she was to the manor born and could rightly afford it.

Though at first, she gave you the impression that she is weak and meek but with all the things that has happened to her, to her husband and to her family, one can discern that this woman's spirit is powered by her strong spiritual belief and faith.

Now, Cory is gone and needless to say, I am sure that she will be remembered with high esteem. She has indelibly sealed her place in Philippine history not only for being the first Philippine woman president but also for how she hurdled all the obstacles that she had to go through in life with quiet resolve. She has exuded a quiet elegance about her by perseveringly going on with her daily activities as the leader of her country. And though she was  reluctantly thrown into the limelight, she never really buckled down in public nor did she show any signs of weakness even if her detractors were eating her alive in the media everyday during her presidency.

For this alone, she has my admiration and respect.

I am sure that she is now happily reunited with Ninoy and finally enjoying the togetherness and happiness that have alluded their married life while on this earth.

Here are videos of some of my favorite tunes. You'll notice that these jams have one artist in common... Kanye West. No, I am not really a Kanye fan but it just so happened that some of his collaborations with other artists got some grooves to it that I like. I'm not really fond of the videos but I hope that most people get pass the visuals and appreciate the music more.


Walking on the Moon by The Dream (feat. Kanye West)





American Boy by Estelle (feat. Kanye West)





Number One by Pharell (feat. Kanye West)