Monday, October 27, 2014

from Solsona, Ilocos Norte

Last January my family and I went to Solsona for a brief vacation. We were there to unwind and to let the kids witness the town fiesta. The kids were excited çoz that was the first time that they were able to appreciate their visit to the town. They were just babies when they first had their vacation there. Then the next visit my daughter was just about to turn three years old while my son was almost 7 years old.

The day we arrived was the day for the Solsona of Hawaii Association. The Mrs. Solsona of Hawaii muse and her entourage was paraded around town. It was their first time to witness a parade in my hometown so our kids were really excited.

My daughter especially was eager to see the gradeschool bands and of course the majorettes! Sadly her school don't have a band, sayang she would like to play the xylophone or try to be a majorette if the school would have a band.

The Hawaiian muse and entourage threw dollar bills, folding fans, lispticks, shorts, shirts, calendars, imported candies, and even US made perfumed hand sanitizers! My cousin said the muses from Hawaii do that in the parades. The local muses threw local candies only.

Karinkin River

I miss swimming in our town's rivers. 
captured on cam by John Benedict Q. Pastrana

Look at the water, the place.

When you are used to swimming in rivers, you will learn to love the fresh and cold water. The water from Karinkin River flows from nearby springs of the mountains of Cordillera. 

captured on cam by John Benedict Q. Pastrana
Joy (in the middle) with her new pal April, and April's older sister

Some parts of the river are shallow. In some parts where the water meanders, it collects into deeper parts and provides pools deep enough for bathers.

I love to float gazing at the blue sky or let myself sink to the river's rocky bottom. I can't feel the same thing when I'm at the beach. The idea of swimming by the beach seems to scare me, what with all the sea creatures that may try to take a bite off me!

When I was younger, my swimming bodies and I used to jump off the improvised wooden bridges towards the fast current of the deep blue parts of the river in Gasgas. Some would climb the ar-o (pine) trees and jump from the highest branch they can reach ala-Tarzan. Some would do somersaults before their wiry bodies hit the cold water.

I did not witness any of those kinds of stunts however. Kids these days lack verve!


Friday, April 04, 2014

bad attitude of some Farinas Trans female employees

i've been trying to curb my temperament. but it usually gets set off by other's lapses, irresponsibility, and dishonesty. those things ticks me off!

i am trying to tie outbursts by letting time pass for a while, so both sides can think and see things better. and it not only angers me but it really makes me sad when people will stand up for lies and bad behavior.

how can those people not see?

everybody's got a bad side. but when your job (bus employee) is tied to serving people (customer service), you must have the presence of mind not to muddle your outlook (where onlookers or potential customers will surely look at you in a bad light) or your service to customers just because some co-employee (mechanic, would like to have his/their vacation) ruffled your feathers. Or some customer you served earlier ruffled your feathers. You are not excused to dump your stresses on any customer.

i noticed that some female employees of Fariñas Bus at the Manila terminal have adopted haughty attitudes that you can't help but give them a taste of their own medicine.

i was able to observe some of the drivers and conductors. they communicate with customers/passengers nicely. and that was how the drivers and conductors were when i was still a student. they are not mayabang at all. if only all of their employees are as nice as the bus drivers and conductors. those female employees needs some relaxing team building activities perhaps. they are ruining their employer's business, what with all the high key tones! they can't even say sorry and pasensiya in a humble manner. they say those words in high keys as if they expect the offended customer to accept such bad attitude because they are employees who can attend to you or not.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Please help Nini!

Nini is suffering from congenital heart disease; patent doctus arteriusus,  tricuspid regurgitation, mitral regurgitation (severe), infective endocarditis (thoses are her heart consitions that was given to me). She is a niece of my husband. When I heard the "let it be, can't do anything about it" note while I am being told of her condition, I was appalled. I feel that I had to do something, even if financially I really have none to offer.  I'm asking your help for Nini that she may get stronger and healthier. Please help Nini.
Her parents had to transfer her from the Philippine Heart Center to the National Children's Hospital (NCH) with a Web site at http://nch.doh.gov.ph/ due to lack of funds for her prescribed medicines, physicians' fees, and other medical procedures and expenses. They learned that a nongovernmental agency with an office at NCH may be able to help their child. 
Nini is now bed ridden, and a lot thinner than how she looks in the picture. Her father sent a message saying that Nini cannot walk nor move or eat without assistance. You may inquire at (02)7240656, 7240657, 7240658, 7240659 if you want to learn more about her condition.
Nini's family are from Barangay Damayan, Macalelon, Quezon, Philippines. She is the only girl out of 5 siblings. Her father sometimes sells cooked food in front of her grandparent's house to make ends meet. Her mother who now have a different family works as a massage therapist. Their earnings are not enough to cover Nini's medical needs as well as for those of her siblings. 
Please help Nini get stronger and to avail of the medical procedures that her family cannot afford. Her doctors say she can't be operated on in her current condition, she's too weak to even sit. She's now a mere shadow of her stronger self like in the picture which was taken last holy week 2013 when she and her cousins (she's the one in the red shirt standing on the bamboo raft) were catching shrimps from a relative's fish pond.
Your help or donation will go directly to her medical expenses. You may also visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/for-nini/x/6462416 where a funding project was started for her. Thank you so much!