subtleoasis

Taking care. Reading through the lists of lauds written during the retreat of my high school class lead me to a gallery of questions - on spotlight was "am I really this good?" And while undergoing this process of solitude, I was struck by a clear fact - none stated my being caring. I have not been so caring. As a son, as a brother, as a friend. Yes, I've done much good, but for whom? For myself! I've not been so caring to the point of thinking less of other people. I've not been so charitable enough -to my ego, yes; to others, never. Thus, little do I care for myself. Ironic but true.

Taking chances. Risks. The world isn't binary nor it is pre-programmed. Breaks like what I'm having now slaps FREEDOM on my face. Actually, it hit me hard. RESPONSIBILITY, FOCUS, COMMITMENT and PRUDENCE - all related to choice. Opportunities abound. I had a host of them for the past year. Some of which I was too  afraid to take. Yet, I dared to take them. Not all were successful but every risk I took made me a better person.

Giving LOVE. Well, the pure essence of Christmas. Love. I've been given a chance to share love to a lot of people - to my family, closest friend most especially to the unloved and less loved. :D

Happy Christmas and May Everyone Have a BLESSED NEW YEAR! :D

Labels: an attempt, christmas, introspection

by Web Correspondent at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Call this spur of the moment - an eventuality I wish not to waste. There's so much I wish to tell. Many things happened for the past days and I have been to a lot of oases - too subtle for others to see, just for me, actually (if you've been following me, by now, I hope, you already know what I mean :D).

Taking time. Taking care. Taking chances. Giving love. This has been the theme of my Christmas. Though not a pre-imposed one, rather these were the things that kept me introspective, before, during and a few days after commemorating Christ's nativity. I had a teary-eyed Christmas.

Taking time. I have a chronic disease related to time. I often waste a lot of time. I'm either idle or too busy working on not so important things. But this is not about me taking much of my time and flushing them down the drain. Not about me wasting time. It's about relationships. Ties. Bonds. Friendship. Family. This past Christmas taught me the value of time in relationships.

I've been forever dreaming of an "almost-perfect" relationship, with my family and friends - less friction, more fun. I just realize that the main culprit for my not so close ties with the people I love is me. I've been so thrifty in investing time with them. Doing the otherwise brought a great change within me.

Labels: an attempt, christmas, introspection

by Web Correspondent at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

I have been a bit unplugged lately (except for some Twitter updates via Globe). For the past three days I've been away from Manila. My family and I spent Christmas up north. It's a bit colder there compared to Canlubang. May be due to less pollution and less factories. Anyway, unlike last year, I've not been so active this Christmas.

Okay, you might ask, "what happened last Christmas?", here's a snippet of it: ~

Last 25th December 2006, my family enjoyed a different kind of menu for the traditional Noche Buena feast. Out with spaghetti, fried chicken, sopas, and macaroni salad, I've introduced my favorites. Tuna carbonara, spiced buttered chicken, calamares and ham sandwich filled our dinner table. Yum! I prepared them all... :D But that was last year. ~

Now, what happened last Christmas? After the midnight mass (Misa de Aguinaldo), I immediately went to bed after sending some greetings via SMS. I woke up at around 8am. I and my family visited our relatives. After lunch I dozed off again. An hour after that "nap" I continued on reading Sionil's Ermita. Then, I slept again. Woke up at 4pm, took some merienda, showers then off to my sister's ninang (godmother).

Sleeping, thinking and reading. These three things kept me busy. Sleeping. I've slept much since the day I arrived home from the seminary. :D But tonight, I'll be trimming a bit on that.

Thinking, more of reflecting. I've heard much stories of people around me that made me pause and look within myself. Much of it about structural sin and very related to poverty and the slum culture. The thought of having a job and earning for others dwelled on me. Even thought of availing a resume service. But it didn't lingered much on my consciousness - I was reminded of the CALL.

Reading. I've finished Ermita. Beautiful. Sir Ronan, my first year comm arts teacher, was right afterall - it is a love story. I just hope that Sionil would offer a sequel.

Um, that's all for now. I haven't regained my writing skills. Too much cholesterol I suppose. :) My post-Christmas post (a more introspective post on Christmas) would hopefully be online before midnight.

Happy Christmas, God bless!

Labels: an attempt, christmas, introspection, randomoasis

by Web Correspondent at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

We caroled four homes. I hope we have brought CHRISTmas' spirit in the hearths of their homes.

~

Post scriptum: On checking my stats, I've found out that someone who queried Google for the schedule of masses in MHC Shrine, Don Bosco Canlubang, was led to my blog. Thus, let me put here the the timetable of the masses in our shrine including the masses for this advent season:

Don Bosco College, Canlubang
Diocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians
Schedule of Masses

Labels: photography, randomoasis

by Web Correspondent at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

This evening marks the start of the longest Christmas celebration in the world. Um, honestly, this post would not telling much about that (hopefully I would have the time to write about what has been lingering in my mind about the season and the sort-of unlimited array of activities that goes with it in the coming days). By popular demand (hehe :D), our schedule has been filled with much singing engagements(we'll leave early --3:30am-- tomorrow for the National Shrine Mary Help of Christians Parish). Joking aside, we sing Christmas carols to different parishes and homes (and do other gimmicks) to raise funds for our seminary activities (part of owning our formation, I believe).

That was too much of an introduction. Um, what I really wanted to say is that during these days that there is too little time to pause a while to scribble my thoughts, allow these few thousand words to speak on my behalf:

random photos of the week

~

A short advertisement: If you are willing to witness our choral performance or to hand in some help you may attend any of the masses from 4:30am to 12nn in the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Better Living Subd., Brgy. Don Bosco, Parañaque City tomorrow, 16 December. Or, you may want to hang something on our Christmas tree and be part of Puno-in ng Pagmamahal ang Pasko project (Fill Christmas with Love / or [in context] Christmas' Tree of Love project), you may visit us in the Diocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, J. Yulo Blvd., Canlubang, Calamba City, Laguna (just 45 mins. from Makati CBD) during the Christmas novena days (preferably during the Dawn Mass at 4:30am :D). Or you wish to know other ways to lend a helping hand to our seminary, just leave a comment here or send me an email at techunk_7 (at) yahoo (dot) com. Thank you so much!

Labels: photography, randomoasis

by Web Correspondent at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sleepless nights. This would best describe the past two weeks that I've been in a subtle hiatus from my blogging rhythm. Why? Reading my twits might give you an abstract portrait of what I was up to. Rehearsals, nights of less sleeps (sleepless nights, :D), singing, dancing, make-up and curtain.

Why was Mary Immaculate? It was because of Jesus. It was Jesus the Mediator Himself who intervened. Thus, His merit as Redeemer was foreseen.

Ineffabilis Deus was the title of the musical that we have been piecing together for the weeks that have gone by. Before I continue, a little background, it was first staged 12 years ago by our brother postulants (now priests) on the eve of the Solemnity of Mary's Immaculate Conception. The script of the one-act musical was forged by no less than Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB (my spiritual director, he also directed the play when it was staged in 1995).

Okay, sleepless nights again. The practices for the plays lasts for 3 hours on an average. Starting at around 9 pm renders an hour or two of our sleep time gone. But it was worth the sacrifice. The amount of sleep I lacked is but a puff of air compared to the learning I've gained and drawn out from my experiences as a stage actor. The experience changed me, a lot. After the gala performance we had a few hours ago, I felt more confident.

Seems that I wouldn't be able to finish this post, my eyes are drooping already. My mind, already asleep. Just in time actually. The first part of the video of the play has just been uploaded. Take a look at this video first then wait for an update tomorrow. :)

Labels: introspection, randomoasis, video

by Web Correspondent at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm sorry if it's only now that I'm writing this post. The events was just so fast and shocking that I didn't have much chance to express the feelings that I felt. It was too much for me too handle, last Thursday. After being greeted by my winning post, before the state-of-shock that I had finally ebbed, another surprise brushed through my day's canvass.

I was walking down the halls of our college, looking for a certain priest, when two college students grabbed my hand, gave me a smile and jubilantly pronounced the words I wasn't expecting (but dreaming) to hear: Congratulations!

All the while, I thought someone told them about my Filipina post. But I was wrong.

I was overwhelmed by the fact that something that I have written has been recognized and much appreciated to the point of forgetting about the elections that took place that day. And so I was caught dumbfounded, with jaws wide-open, when the news reached me (through a brother seminarian): Congratulations vice!

(the following would be anti-climactic *grin(a holy one)*)
Yes. I won the elections. The formal declaration of the winners would be tomorrow. My unfinished tasks list is yet to be crammed with more tasks as another responsibility has found its way on my shoulders. It doesn't end there. Rather, it is the beginning of NEW frontiers for me. The beginning of MORE service; thus, the commencement of further self-discovery. In the following days of my life, I'll be encountering more people - my fellow college students whom I chose to serve - in my life. But what's exciting me more is the fact that I'll soon be much in touch with myself.

Nemo dat quod non habet. Nobody gives what one doesn't have.

Labels: introspection, randomoasis

by Web Correspondent at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments