Stressed? Tired? Burned out?
Breathe. Take a rest. Relax.
Pandemic or not, feel human.
You are neither a creased picture nor fading pixels meant for the fleeting memory.
Remember: Statues don’t do much.
So, move on. Stop the still. Foot forward, step up.
Walk – No! Run – the talk.
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I wish the above mumblings apply to travel.
A trip to the Philippines is on the planning board and it must happen as soon as applicable – when masks, social distancing, quarantines and other health and safety protocols are no longer in vogue.
Pesky pandemic! I can’t even celebrate my 67th birth anniversary en masse sa labas if officials extend the stay-home mode past March 8.
However, I will blow candles and make a wish to mark my special natal day. Anyone wants cake?
“Lolo is really getting older.” “Young man, where’s the wiser?”
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I want to be a balikbayan to listen to the latest tales, neither bland nor tall, about home.
I’d like to be with familiar faces, see places where I used to be and re-experience events I am sorely missing.
Someone called it those-were-the-days syndrome. He added: “Tingnan mo na lang sa FB, Bro.”
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The bucket-list trip is important. I need to be reassured that, amid all the fake and rabid information, the Philippines is still a beautiful, blessed and worthy nation.
I need to be convinced that sila kababayan are still smiling and standing with their heads held high, grateful of their forefathers’ legacy and proud of their resiliency against evil forces that dare scheme to break their backs and bilk their wallets.
A good homecoming is definitely worth the expense.
Sasama daw? Patay! Ang gastos!
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On stay-home mode, I can only reminisce the days of yore when Myrna and Tenny tell of their family vacations to the Philippines.
Ranking among my best balikbayan storytellers, both find it hard to omit almost everything about breathtaking, refreshing and relaxing natural and man-made Philippine tourism sights.
Guiding an audience to the seldom navigated but equally important dimension of a homecoming journey, they focus on memorable individual and collective blasts from the past that influenced a comfortable present and could provide encouraging insight of a better future.
They never tire to talk about educational, likewise empowering, visits to the family’s roots and ancestral thread; how some people, some places and some events deserve spots in their hearts and minds; and why it is imperative to lumingon sa pinanggalingan nang makarating sa paroroonan.
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A friend, who shares a similar notion of a homecoming, says: “I will always be proud of and be thankful for the space under the sun where I was born, where I grew up, where I shared fun and happiness with family and friends and neighbours, where I learned a lot of life’s lessons, and where I lived as a Filipino in thought, in word and in deed. This is why I always visit the Philippines – to be close to where my heart truly is.”
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Me? Homeward bound? Not now, but it will come.
When I become a certified balikbayan, I’d surprise the pasalubong receivers.
“Lolo went to the Philippines and all I got was this lousy ….. Never mind!”
“After a bit of twisting and wrangling, the dried mango nearly slit my throat.”
“The Heimlich maneuver would have worked fine with the polvoron.”
“Choc-Nut again? Did a Filipino-Canadian store open a franchise in the Philippines?”
“I bet the size 32 denims came from iconic Divisoria. I’d diet and drip some sweat, until my waistline shrinks to 30. Then I’ll wash the jeans for a perfect fit.”
“Geez! You said you bought me a pair of Marikina shoes? Did the pair really make it to the airport?”
So it was said: The pasalubong is always appreciated, whatever and no matter what. The thought counts.
However, if pasalubong disappointment sets in, here is an advice: Do not think. Just count sheep and go to sleep. If the temporary cold shoulder persists, repeat the process once more for the second time again and again until you forget to wake up. Lilipas din ‘yan, Bro.
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Don’t worry, I’m still in Toronto. Traveling during the pandemic era will never be fun and hassle-free.
Meanwhile, it is very comforting and heartening to see fine young ladies and gentlemen of Filipino roots, many of them born in Canada, embracing their Asian culture.
They respect their parents and elders who moulded them into being good Canadian citizens; the same parents who sacrificed brain and brawn to help build a tomorrow for the family.
They look back, acknowledge and revere the rich customs and traditions, arts and language, and heritage of their historical roots; keeping their heads high when they proclaim their cultural identity.
They are fearless to share this identity, the ideals of which they lived by.
They believe in who they are, confident that they will be what they aspire to become.
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Cultural pride abounds among the community’s youth.
Besides English and French, some Canadian-born children speak and understand the tongue of their parents.
(The web-based publication Ethnologue: Languages Of The World says a total of 182 native languages are spoken in the Philippines. The official languages are Filipino and English.)
‘Mano po’, an age-old act of respect to elders, is common in many homes, as do the ‘po’ and ‘opo’.
A child’s rendition of Bahay Kubo is enough for the homesick to tear up.
Youth participation and involvement in expressive cultural forms have been evident in community, city, municipal, provincial and federal stages through the years.
Their representation of Filipino art, songs, music and dances – although creatively virtual these days – is amazing and has drawn appreciation and accolades from varied audiences.
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Yehey! The Spring season of renewal is arriving on March 20.
Prepare for Daylight Saving Time and the spring equinox by setting clocks forward an hour on March 14, at 2:00 a.m.
“Spring ahead!”
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This is interesting.
Jennifer Aldrich wrote in Country Living: Each year, Christians from varying denominations welcome the new buds of spring with the celebration of Lent.
Six weeks long, the season of Lent encourages Christians “to find [their] own method of confronting [their] sinfulness, remembering [their] mortality, and giving thanks for the gift of salvation [they] receive through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The word “Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term “lencten” (relating to the lengthening of days), which translates to “spring.”
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Excited over Spring, Lolo Kardo asked two questions: When will I finally get to roll up my sleeves for a COVID-19 vaccine needle? When will I get to go line dancing again?
Lolo Kardo has the moves. Short of replicating the folkloric character Samuel Bilibit, he is an avid advocate of Stop the Still.
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Before I start re-imagining and further yearning for that post-pandemic trip to the Philippines, let me say Mabuhay! to the editors and writers, officials and staff of the Philippines News Agency (PNA), which marks its 48th year on March 1.
Moments and memories were made at PNA, where I worked for and partnered with since 1980, the longest employment record I have had that seems so hard to end. #####