Pirates

.


Those who know me know how much a freak I can be when it comes to pirates.

Back then, when I was a kid, I enjoyed jumping from the top of our closets and fly like Captain Cook as if he had the powers of Peter Pan. Then land in the comforts of our beds and giggle like crazy, the taste of flight still on my tongue.

Sometimes, I never get to land on the bed. But that would be another story I never want to disclose.

It does not come out as a surprise then if I stalk on Pirates of the Carribean like a ravenous wolf. I love pirates and the exciting stories they keep within them, hooks and all.

And, then, there's also what we call anime.

Those who know me know how I never got over this obsession.

Until now, I still pine on the latest episodes of Bleach, Naruto and One Piece while I reminisce on the hundred others I've just finished watching.

Now, here comes One Piece, which I have also grown to love.

And here comes Captain Jack of Pirates.

Bring them all together, and what would it be?

The result is this.

 |

 |

 |

V

 

I honestly LOLed myself to sleep for this cuteness overload.

Credit goes to LPSPALMER for this wonderful art I got to see back there in Deviantart.



.

Shards

.

“You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.”

There’s a mirror that cracks, shard by shard as it glows its last light, and it forms to ashes and green fields and wind and water and it morphs and glides to grayish blue glows and becomes life all over again.

Such was the allure of her eyes, her pretty, pretty eyes.

In a room secluded, only bathed by shadows and dark light, he reflects with a smile he could only dream to unlearn. Bound with a tightness that is never painful enough (always never painful enough), covered in gaps that could never be cinched by time, he remembers, always remembers, with quaint clarity, how eyes like hers could once haunt him in weeks.

And in a snap, he silently growls how he could never have that kind of glow, that kind of life, that kind of fire. Her passion. Her love.

For he rarely gave and always took, and takes what he always wants he did, would, always will. The fox crawls and silently creeps in a woman’s heart, grabs it by the pulsing heat and shreds it like panels screeching to dust. And always, he smiles, because he gets what he wants and has gotten away with it.

Until now. Until she came along.

Yet, he could not (could never) leave her.

Smile wider now, my dear. 

He had left another one behind, even for days on end, only that he could catch more of that life, of that fire in her. He had thought then, that it was that orb's doing, but as he continually looked at her with focused intent, he began to see with alarming quality that it was her soul that had captured it, and not the other way around.

And so he began to follow her, observe her, like an unwilling fox transfixed with such innocent prey.

Still, he never had (never never never) her. Could never. Should never. 

(He never knew the difference.)

So beneath it all, over and beyond the stars, the shards, the pain, the agony, the loneliness, he smiles the only smile he learns. It had been the only smile he has polished to perfection ever since he was born in a time worth forgetting.

If he had been any other man, he could’ve gotten anything he wanted, could’ve taken anything he needed. At certain times in his life, he believed in such a lie it filled him with greed to have more.

But he is a fox who continues to fly, and glide he does among grains borne of regret and listlessness and dreams he should have followed instead. But he instantly forgets everything because he lives for a day, never forever, never that long.

And so he left her behind, not once looking back.

This is the story of his heart, and what’s left of it.




(an incomplete piece that I could not get to finish. blame my muse for leaving me.)
.

Iris

.


The iris will never look as lovely as when it knows that one is grieving.

When I have long given up on the fact that I might still find the one I've been looking for all this time, I somewhat knew that the irises were blooming lovingly at a very surprising rate, milking my grief for what it's worth. (It wasn't worth a lot).

The same happens to a tragic love story that happened way back in the post-medieval times, when a samurai, in his blinded rage to protect the one he has learned to love, unintentionally shot his sword through his lover's chest, killing her instantly.

It was a rain of blood, so much blood, they say.

And the irises had been the prettiest for the next seasons after that, which still left a lot of people marveling why.

The wounds that I keep inside are feeding the irises alive, more alive than I have ever been. And though I know that someone out there is happily wondering at such beauty of nature, I can't help but be selfish, thinking who would ever sacrifice his or her own happiness to make mine real.

We are all irises in our own right—we all should know that.

But first, I have to find a way that would make me believe that loving you from afar will already be enough, or the irises will continue to strive.


.

Mansanitas

.


I once pondered on the beauty of a profession, probably because someone dear to me has asked it for so many times in so many ways for the past years.

And for so many times and in so many ways, I've tried to answer her. Most of my answers were half-baked, though, probably because I was also not too happy with the way things have progressed in my profession.

(At that time, I blandly called profession a 'job sans happiness'.)

The breakthrough came today, at 5:02 PM, as I looked beyond my office window with my office mate, marveling at a mansanitas tree.

Do you know that a mansanitas does not grow that easily? my office mate shares. I tilted my head towards her direction, silently telling her I was listening.

A mansanitas tree does not grow from its seeds. Neither does it grow from its fruit. And it simply cannot grow from its cuttings, although its wood is of fine quality.

The mansanitas fruit has to be eaten by a specific bat species first, and only from this bat's 'poo-poo' can a mansanitas land on the earth and multiply.

This is why you should always protect any mansanitas tree that you see; after all, the bats are getting hunted because people always mistake them for the dark arts simply because they are nocturnal, she adds, as we both looked wistfully at the tree, which I now stare with different eyes.

Things are usually taken at face value, especially in this day and age where life passes you by in a snap that it leaves you less time to appreciate it.

So try to pause, and try to look at the things around you, discover it once more. Relearn it. Explore it. Until it becomes an entirely different thing altogether because you tried to understand it in a way that only your heart and mind combined can.




That is why I believe I am blessed when I can experience learning and exploring new things out of something so common in every day of my life.

This is the beauty of my profession. What is yours?


.

Pitter-patter

.

I once loved the rain.

And I loved the memories it evoked. I remember my childhood, me wrapped in blankets, basking in the warmth and comfort the rain brought as the pitter-patter lulled me to sleep. Some other times, I would look at the drops which managed to kiss the windowsills as I drink my cup of hot chocolate, speculating on such a wonder of nature.

Other times, I write poems about it. Sometimes, I am not alone in the writing.

My fascination with rain took a drastic turn as my life progressed and was distorted by both traumatic and painful experiences I only wish to forget so I could move on.

In all those times, I feared the rain, and the thunder (for it was too loud to keep my secret hurts) and the lightning (for it can never hide the truth). In those times, I wished it would never rain, for it meant another person's pain, suffering...tears.

And now, as I experienced another downpour, this time relatively safe in the shelter of our home, I can not help but remember EVERYTHING that happened yesterday, and the Saturday before that. Of how the rain howled blood and swallowed the wails of so many victims from a foreign bus held hostage because there are still victims of negative circumstances.

Whatever is being said and done, I will still blame the situation, and never the person.


And how can I forget my own demise, as I looked up the forest dappled sky, swallowing both rain and sweat as I frantically sauntered back from a hilly slope of Cantipla for another bout of our reforestation caravan. The rain showed me no mercy and drenched me completely, and I was lucky enough to develop a common sense to bring additional clothes on this trip, or I'll end up soaking the car seat.

And the experience made me realize what, exactly, we are fighting for. Made me remember why we even bother.

The trees grow lovelier when graced by the rain.

After all is said and done, the pitter-patters on my windowsill remain a bringer of luck.

Such is the wonder of life.

Let's all begin anew.


.

Extraordinary

.


It still continues to amaze me how I am brought to the right people at the right time, in the right place, for the right reasons.

Last Friday, on the 20th, I assisted one of our senior officers in awarding a plaque to one of our new member companies. With one of our executive committee members, also an executive of one of  Cebu's prestigious banks, we went to the office of said new member company and discussed possible partnerships between our organization and their company.

To say that I was impressed by what they are initially doing within the company is an understatement.

Allow me to take you back to the present image our BPO industry is projecting, based from the observations of both professionals and ordinary citizens of our place.

We mostly see employees of BPOs doing any or all of the following:
(a) they drink alcohol
(b) they party heavily
(c) they spend money unwisely

And some of the reasons that may cause these are:
(a) they want to destress
(b) they don't originally live in Cebu and, thus, look for other means to spend their free time
(c) they love to award themselves for the humongous salaries that they have by spending

Sadly, if you look at the more mature/older people's perspective, this is a sad state which they believe could be a price we have to pay for development.

But not for this company, which we got to meet on a closer level. They may be a BPO, but they believe in the holistic development of their employees and are already organizing activities and events that would harness their other skills and develop their spiritual, mental, physical and social abilities.

One of which activities is to gather these employees for more worthwhile activities like reforestation events, coastal cleanups, feeding programs and many more.

They are also looking up at organizing a scholarship program for their employees' families, and that is just one of the things on their list.

Now this is extraordinary. And I'm blessed to see things like this unfold before my very eyes and be inspired myself to do my very best.


.

Real Beauty

.


There were hundreds of high-class vehicles, vintage or not.

Men celebrate beauty of their counterparts.

Speed, prance, lift, drift...lots of clicks and shots.

It was all about beauty and camaraderie.

But for me, these are what mattered the most.

 Batteries donated for the Motolite-PBSP

Balik Baterya Program

After all the events that transpired in three days, the 186 batteries donated by these clubs still show that these people have hearts, that at the end of it all, they also are doing something for a good cause.

With these transported to Philippine Recyclers, Inc. by Motolite, we have 186 less batteries to worry about polluting our environment.

We also have 186 batteries which will help fund an additional Learning Resource Center, a mini-library schoolchildren can use to make their learning easier and more meaningful.

All because these clubs simply took time to care and pitched in the donation.

That, for me, is real beauty.


.

Miss Promiscuity 2010

.


When the tragedy happened, I was not paying attention at first.

The entire event in general is not exactly my cup of tea. Cars to me look the same - they all are used for transportation - and I am particularly not so keen on seeing my fellow women prance in something that leaves little to the imagination.

I was not keeping track of details. I had the time of my life rereading Jack Welch. It was the hooting and the person who borrowed one of our chairs which made me realize something was going on - and that something was amiss.

And then I saw her.

Petite, pale, thin, innocent eyes, button nose, shy smile.

And only ten years old.

Wearing nothing but heavy make up, a shirt that exposed her midriff, very short shorts and three-inch boots.

Of all things holy.

No matter how many times they say that the activity is wholesome, it didn't change the fact that there is a ten year-old child in there, along with the other older ladies, working the crowd of older men like she's vying for Miss Promiscuity 2010.

No wonder we live in this kind of world with young parents who can't face their responsibilities properly. Like taking their children to appropriate places for appropriate learning.


I can only make my point across by leaving a note.


.

Jack Welch on strategy

.



"In real life, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement like hell."

- Jack Welch, "WINNING"

No wonder I love rereading his book so much. :)


.

The city fights back

.


Not a long time ago, the army worms staged war against the city of Cebu, using all of Buhisan's teak leaves as their victims of mass destruction.

Now, the city fights back.

It has been found out that there are only five forest wardens for the 29,000-hectare CCPL. Without the city counterpart, the tanods only get an honorarium of Php 100.00 a month.

And the Buhisan Dam now serves around 150,000 cubic meters of water compared to how much it is originally designed to provide - 500,000 cubic meters.

MCWD and CUSW is seriously considering the gradual removal of teak trees, which will be replaced with indigenous trees. This will help promote biodiversity in Cebu and save water at the same time.

SWCF has ideas, too. Selectively log and replace, they say. Sell the teak which will be slowly replaced with indigenous trees - it's one of the finest pieces of lumber - and use the proceeds for any community-based projects.

If the city is seriously looking at Buhisan as an ecotourism site, they have to have the birds.

The Php 2 million royalty courtesy of MCWD must also be pushed, they added.

Law enforcement should be strictly implemented, which would take a lot of political will. The barangays should be involved in all this. Community organizing is a must.

There will be more meetings after this, but I am sure we are all heading towards the right direction now.

.

Blowfish

.


The blowfish has slowly become a household name.

The locals call it butete.

I call it bayuok - the phenomenon where humans personify unique characteristics as that of a blowfish.


My best friend just had it a few weeks back.

Several years ago, on my fourth year of college-hood, my sister had it - on Valentine's Day.

A month after her, just weeks before my graduation, I got it.
I almost missed my valedictory speech and my walk towards my most coveted diploma.


Sometimes, the blowfish are not wonderful.


.

Building sustainability (2 of 2)

.


PNP's thrust is not only law enforcement but also environment protection.

The police force in Lapu-lapu City has 45 certified scuba divers.

“The community really needs a livelihood program. If they have no food to eat and have nothing to do, they will have an evil mind.” - BFAR

ABS-CBN comes up with a community-based stewardship program - starting with Tongasan, Olango Island.

Cordova is not even considering the conservation of their bacasi (eel).

Danajon Reef is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines, the Indo-China, and probably the world.

Through a MOA with the Bohol provincial government, the Koreans are planning to cover 1 million hectares of the ocean, where Danjon Reef is also located, with seaweeds. This may cause an imbalance and tragic death to various marine species.

Some people are already eating corals while some fishermen are already using chlorine for the bacasi.

IK stands for indigenous knowledge.




I suddenly developed a love for meetings.

(LINC-CRMG Stakeholders' Meeting)

.

Building sustainability (1 of 2)

.


I had the privilege of attending the One Cebu Sustainability Business Summit at the Cebu International Convention Center. Since I was only able to catch up on the second part of the affair, the inputs I gathered from the event were a little limited.

From the talks I was able to attend, I can see that the summit was eventful, and very informative.

Let me just take you to a few of the insights that stuck on my mind from the talks of these prestigious speakers.



From Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga:

1. Gawad Kalinga was able to build 207,000 homes all over the Philippines.

2. Sustainability is about trust.

3. We have failed to address the issues of the social justice in a peaceful way.

4. People who heed power and positions have a disconnect to the people from the bottom of the pyramid.

5. The rich is not the enemy of the poor. The poor is not a burden of the rich.

6. There is no absence of generosity, only a lack of trust.

7. It makes good business sense to end poverty.

8. Filipinos can actually end poverty in this country.


From Emmanuel Aligada of Globe:

1. Most SMEs see technology as difficult and expensive.

2. Technology, for SMEs, is something they do not need.

3. LOTSA PIZZA is one of the SMEs Globe was able to help through the SMS mechanism.


From Jun Palafox of Palafox Associates:

1. The Philippines ranks first in marine biodiversity and music.

2. Los Angeles is a 60-year old mistake in planning.

3. Singapore is as big as the island of Guimaras; even Laguna Lake is bigger than Singapore.

4. An association of architects vowed that by 2030, they will all design buildings with zero carbon footprint.

5. One hundred eighty (180) of our 400 rivers are already dead.

6. Look for old Spanish churches. They make sure that the tabernacle does not get flooded.

7. The waterfront is another ideal opportunity for urban planning.

8. Vertical urbanism is the way to go—it eats up less space.


.

Worms stage war

.



Autumn in the Philippines? Or a disastrous case of climate change?

We passed by the road towards Toong, Buhisan, Cebu to visit our assisted cooperative there.
What we see is this, instead.

My officemates call it the wrath of the army worms.
They feed on teak leaves until they suck on whatever life is left of the leaves, leaving their skeletal remains behind.


This is such a sad, sad, sad phenomenon.
Even I would not like our autumn to arrive this way.


.

Scribbles

.


Dear you, I miss you. Love, me.

nuttssiest is my name.

INCEPTION is insane.

many moons, many suns
ain't this the best time of our lives.


.

PA 101 revisited

.


The last time I became a PA for film shoots was five years ago.

Thank heavens I still remembered something about it for I needed it as badly as the water on my fridge.

As part of our big event preparations, I was tasked to assist our chairman in shooting for our institutional report. It was the first responsibility given to me where I have to take charge, and although the thought of it is exciting, it did not erase whatever panic I have in my system.

It will be the first time I will meet our official photographer and chairman, who I only communicated through emails and text messages.

It was an opportunity to sharpen whatever event organizing skills and knowledge that I had so I can properly make polite letters, feasible itineraries, doable budgets, and the corresponding logistics.

It was also the time I once again filtered through age-old notes of my previous classes on film production and the like, going through previous templates of scripts to idiot boards, the angles and shadows courtesy of lighting and all the things I needed to be familiar again so I can be a dependable PA.

The result: two days worth of satisfying breaths of relief. With sweat, tears, and all that jazz.

PA 101 once again saved the day—and my sanity.



.