Beauty Lesson from the Old Acacia Trees

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Everytime I passed by our dormitory and of our neighborhood, I am always captivated by the towering acacia trees. There were several of them and most are very old. I don’t exactly know how old they are, but the ferns and fungi growing on their stout trunk and limbs are shouting antiquity. During the day, they are a picture of humble grandeur, as their mighty branches stir the cool breeze or their fresh green leaves provide shade to passing people. During the night, they are a picture of relaxed serenity, with their gentle hum and slow sway, and with the corn moon casting its soft glow behind them. Everytime I see them, I just could not help but look up and be mesmerized by them. They inspire me with their simple and quiet beauty. Though unnoticed and unappreciated, they continue to hold their limbs up high.

A Broken Zipper

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I was being busy this afternoon putting pillows in their new cases. I had been sleeping late these last few days and I had this theory it must be because of my bare pillow. So I bought a new pillow and some decent pillow cases. So I took time putting these pillows inside the case, while in my ears, my earphones were busy playing “Starting Over Again” over and over again. Winamp just kept repeating the song for me. LOL. Well, I guess I fell in love with the song, and with the movie of the same title from which it was taken from. Everyone was crazy over that film these days.

It Takes Him Time

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August 23, 2010. At about 9:30 am, a disgruntled former senior inspector of the Manila Police District boarded and hijacked a tourist bus which carried 21 tourists from Hong Kong and four Filipinos. After almost an hour and a half, six Hong Kong tourists were freed. During noon, three additional hostages were released. By this time, both local and international television channels aired live footage of the kidnapping as the hijacker became more sullen with each passing hour. The drama continued until nightfall. By half past seven, the first shots fired from within the bus were heard and deaths began mounting. Snipers positioned themselves and policemen futilely attempted to break in through the windows and doors. Almost an hour had passed before the hijacker was shot in the head by police marksmen. In the aftermaths of the event, nine were dead including the perpetrator.

Yolanda and the Filipinos

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Haiyan. Yolanda. Whichever the name is, that typhoon has been a great gauge of strength, resiliency, and unity of the Filipino nation.

It was the 7^th of November, 2013 when Yolanda entered the Philippine shores, initially devastating the sleepy town of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It was night time and the damage it had brought remained unseen, until the dawn of the next day. By November 8, Yolanda crossed the entire islands of Leyte and Samar, with winds up to 315 km/h (195 mph). Along with the furious winds was the gigantic storm surge, waves reaching as high as 5-6 m (15-19 ft). Waters covered the whole City of Tacloban and those who were unfortunate to reach high grounds were drowned and killed. Buildings and churches toppled. Boats and ships were thrown on land. Trees were uprooted and lives were wasted. By November 10, Yolanda exited the country, leaving ruined cities and provinces, broken lives, and a shocked nation.

Lessons From My Students

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It has been a number of years now since I started teaching at the local university. It has been very hard at the beginning since I was hired the same year I graduated. My first students were my “friends” and “fellows”, and it was really kind of awkward being addressed as “Sir” and shifting relationships from their “big brother” to their “teacher”. I soon got the hang of it and finally enjoyed my job.

Sand Sculptures

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I was looking through some photos of my students in a beach activity when I noticed sand sculptures on them. They were only on the background but they caught my attention. They were really beautiful, I supposed they were more beautiful than my students. LOL!