Summer 2007

Summer of 2007 will be etched in my heart as one of the most memorable summers in my 26 years of existence.

We’ve had two very fun family trips this summer. First, we went to Baguio the weekend before the troublesome Election Day. Maybe it was a brief escape from the harsh reality… Wehehe. Then barely two weeks later, we went on a day trip to Corregidor.

Anyway, that Baguio trip is our first family trip in YEARS!!!! The last trip we took was almost 10 years ago, also in Baguio.

A lot of difference 10 years make. First and most evident, all of us were more ragged around the edges. Obviously, my parents have gotten older and when I look at my face in the mornings, I have to admit that I will no longer pass as a high school student (I could before without make-up and with my small stature). Baguio is also a lot cooler this time around.

But I guess the more pointed difference is the ease we as a family now have. Maybe people do mellow with age but whatever the case maybe, I just want to declare to the world that I am truly blessed to have my family.

My mom is not as mobile as she used to be. Her rheumatic (or is it arthritic) knees have been giving her much trouble. And while it bothers me to see her like that, I also take comfort during the moments I see her being assisted by my dad. It gives me great satisfaction when I see them walking while holding hands or when they unceasingly tease each other who first fell for whom.

I guess what made the summer of 2007 extra special were not the trips. Those just supplied a wonderful frame for the real art – a picture of a truly happy family.

Dear Mr. Arcilla

Dear Mr Arcilla,

I just want to let you know that you made my attendance to the last Philippine Marketing Convention a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I attended the conference knowing fully well that my knowledge about marketing and brand management will be tested and eventually improved.

What I did not count on was the validation of my belief that good business practice, giving back to the community should not be mere lip service and the comforting knowledge that there are successful business people like you who do more than talk about it.

So thank you Mr Arcilla, for your impassioned talk and for having the courage to stand in front of the marketing community, and encourage them to look beyond their profitability and quotas as the measure for good business. Thank you for trying to make them see that good business requires taking care of the community that has given their businesses so much. That the (perhaphs) unprofitable but definitely life-changing social endeavors like Gawad Kalinga and Anawim are necessary to keep hope afloat and in the long run, those might even be the salvation of our ever shifting economy.

Thank you for giving the younger generation more choices on how they are to act as they make their mark in marketing landscape. Perhaphs someday, becoming a philanthropist will rank high in a young person's personal dreams.

Sincerely,
A Fan

Mother Nature at her Best

I love the rain. I love everything about it. I love smelling the world after a refreshing shower. I love watching it pour down on earth. I love listening to it as it falls down. I even love running and playing in it if the downpour is hard enough.

Rain is, in my opinion, one of Mother Nature's best surprises. I mean, sure it's hell being unexpectedly caught in a downpour, stuck in traffic just when you need time on your side.

But imagine a state of life where you have nothing to do and nowhere to go. Don't you think it's a wonderful experience to run free under the rain?

I love the sun equally. I strive every summer to get a decent tan. But there is really something quite magical about the rain.

Rain at night guarantees a goodnight's sleep with the coolness it brings.
Rain in the morning makes you want to snuggle deeper under the covers, savoring the warmth of your bed.
But I think rain in the afternoon is just perfect. It gives me a reason to stay indoors, but it also arouses the child in me to go out and play with Mother Nature.

There is a certain level of comfort I achieve walkng under the heavy downpour, feeling free and relaxed, one with Mother Nature while the rest of my neighborhood opt to sit in and wait for the rain to pass.

Try it once this coming rainy season. Walk under the rain. Feel every drop refresh your skin. Catch a few with your tongue. Savor the experience and maybe, you will end up loving the rain as much as I do.

Apathetic Pathetic

Apathy... There is a certain level of dryness just saying the word out loud. Alas, I am struck with this ailment. Yup. I think apathy is a state of illness... I mean, life has so many wonderful, beautiful things to offer and being apathetic to it is akin to being bedridden with a serious ailment.

I don't exactly know when it started. My zodiac sign dictates that I am supposed to be the most passionate sign. Yup. I remember being like that once upon a time. With a temper to boot.

But now? Now, I can honestly say I let a lot of things pass. Very little, if at all any, ruffle my feathers. It's actually quite bothersome, but true to my currently apathetic nature, I couldn't even be bothered to be bothered. Make sense?

If I remember my Lit classes, Dante devoted a circle of his inferno to the apathetic. I think it's Cornice number 2 where the apathetic are cursed to keep on running very quickly in circles. Perhaphs like a hornet's nest?

Sigh. I don't know what exactly is wrong with me. Can somebody help? I just need to feel my heart jump a little.