Life, Day by Day

Kung Hei Fat Choi! I first learned this word in 1993 when I went to Hongkong with my mom and brother. I got sick the second day I was there, so all I did was watch television and trying to learn Chinese phrases. But even then, Chinese New Year was not a big thing for a non-Chinese like me (although I do have a Chinese ancestor, way up the line), so I basically forgot it's meaning until 2005 when Mayor Evelio "Bing" Leonardia launched the first Bacolaodiat Festival , Bacolod City's very own Chinese New Year Festival--it comes from the words "Bacolod" & "Lao Diat" (Fookien word for celebration).

This isn't the first time that the Negrense Blogging Society, Inc. got invited to an appreciation  party but this is the first time that we all had fun!  Last January 25, 2013, Globe hosted a Media and Blogger's Night at 21 Restaurant.  In attendance were media practitioners from print, television and radio and of course, the bloggers group.  You know, it never ceases to surprise me that companies, organizations, festival organizers and even politicians now look at bloggers as a "force" that can influence public opinion and even effect change.  In the past not many people read blogs, but that is no longer true now-a-days.  Bloggers are now seen as good sources of publicity, which more often than not is unsolicited and may be good or bad.  When I started blogging, this was the farthest from my mind...in fact, it never even entered my head. To this day blogging for me is just another way to express my thoughts and ideas...it is not about anything else.  In fact, during

Have you ever experienced being lost as a child or perhaps, your own child? When I was a little girl, I got lost not once but twice, or rather my mom lost me. The first time was in the old La Salle Bacolod gym when she brought three year old me to watch the Bayanihan Dance Company. My Mom who was an alumna and student leader of the Philippine Women's University (PWU) was so excited to see familiar faces and teachers, that she promptly "forgot" about me.  There I was standing behind her holding the tickets when a well-meaning usher took me to our seats, so that when my mom turned, I was no longer there.  Did she panic?  You bet she did!  She felt terror in her heart and was near hysteria.  She was about to go up the stage to make an announcement about a lost child when she saw little me sitting comfortably and fanning myself with the tickets.   Lesson No 1 - watch the children carefully!  But it seems that this was easier said than done.  Because it happened again when

Even when I began blogging more seriously, I never quite realized the reach and power of social media.  Although we started getting some invitations to events sponsored by Globe, Google and Multiply, it was only when several businesses started knocking that I saw the importance of social media in influencing opinions and outcomes in almost everything it touches. So that when SM City Bacolod invited the officers of the Negrense Blogging Society, Inc. to attend it's Media Night last January 5, 2013, we decided to attend.  It was fun to be part of the "media" even though I am not what is considered a "real" media practitioner.  But I'd like to believe that as bloggers, we too are writers and also, what is more commonly known, citizen journalists .  Our friends from Skyscrapercity.com were there (of which I too am a member but have not been very active) and personalities from the different radio and TV stations in the province. We were entertained by the talent

This Christmas 2012 is probably one of the busiest holiday season ever for me.  It's weird because there are only a few relatives left here in my area, so except for the usual family gatherings on Christmas and New Year's eve, we have nothing planned.  However, there were so many other activities both at work and our volunteer organizations, invitations from friends for baptisms, weddings and other gatherings, that I found myself tired at the end of each day with no energy left to go online.  Or maybe because I am back at work and it now entails traveling (driving) a total of 40 or so kilometers a day. This situation should have given me a lot of stress but wonder of wonders, I actually did not mind not getting my daily 6-10 hours online fix.  Oh wow! I am not addicted to the internet!

After waiting for 4 months, my son and I were finally able to watch Samurai X aka Rurouni Kenshin last December 7.  The live action movie did not disappoint.  Of course, it was not exactly like the anime, but the essential elements were there...the blinding speed, the haunting scenery, the fight scenes (I do not condone violence but somehow in this movie, in spite of the blood and gore, the death scenes were somehow "dignified") and all the important characters. 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 Last December 12, I was up until 2 AM listening to the nominal voting of the RH Bill in the House of Representatives. Listening to our representatives both pro and anti-RH Bill, I was appalled by the line of reasoning of some of them. Some of the arguments used by those who voted NO are shallow and self-serving, like our economy is dependent upon OFW remittances and populating the earth with Filipinos. While those proponents of the bill (YES) have convinced themselves that too many Filipinos will be the destruction of our society, that the only way to solve poverty, prevent maternal and child death and espouse women's rights is to promote a contraceptive mentality amongst our people. They have convinced themselves that they are doing this for the Filipino nation, exercising sovereignty and the separation of church and state by no