12/30/06, Saturday

A get-together. A December-born birthday celeb. I (12/19/ ), my sister (12/25/ ) and my son,(12/28/ ). For guests we got my sister, her daughter and her daughter's husband and 2 kids- a boy and a girl. The food - beef, poultry, fish, noodles , veggies and rice. Of course, we have the birthday cake and the three blew the candles amid the clicking of the digital camera.

Over conversations ranging from private to public to religious, political and civics, the get-together was memorable.

Goodbye to the old Year and welcome of the New Year ! And we fondly hope it would be promising...

Two Poems

12/26/06
Longing for a Meaning


Melancholy crept in as I gazed
at the hedges surrounding
the garden of my past. I saw
myself, a mere speck of anonymity,
longing for a greater meaning
in this crazy world.

Suddenly...

My eyes welled with tears
and the moon of December wryly smiled.
I was swept into the vortex of poetic verses
and vaunted love songs. Yesterdays' memories
commenced to carve out hollow cavities
compelling me to untangle the
doubts about my existence.

I ambled over to find a spot at the table
so I could have a gulp of turmeric,
black pepper and honey.

****************************
 (12/02/06)

In My world

You stalked into my world like a phantom arrow
targetting straight through the eyes of my soul
in the coldness of a wintry night
so cold it penetrates in the very essence

of my loneliness.

I love you like a poem of an unknown poet
like the mystery of an enchanted mountain
like the gold is hidden in the savage forest

I love you because you came to me
and you are you.

Immaculate Conception...
Magnificat
And the angel Gabriel announced to Mary
that she will bear a son and
He shall be called
Jesus.
The serpentine promise of immortality
in the Garden started the war
of good and evil.

two women: one defiled
the other undefiled.

Thanksgiving '06

We have lots of things to be grateful for - life, health, job, family, friends.
We observed such gratefulness with a turkey, of course. But we first scrambled of the late mass observance by making the fingers do the seeking.We found that 9:30 AM Thanksgiving Mass was suitable for us. Luckily, we were able to at least hear the homily. It was stirring reminder of us mortals: that we failed to recognize the blessings that we received because of our persevering pursuit for the material things
for our wants' sake and not of our needs. The Spanish-English Mass was an experience
and we blended due to our blessed culture. And for that we greatly thank God.

" Everyone wants happiness, no one wants pain, but you can't make a rainbow without a little rain."

A call from a friend...

'Twas quarter to ten when my wife's cell phone rang. " Hello, ... Boy left us...

We hurried. We arrived just on time. Sure friends were there. We prayed.

Life is short and a mystery. We just have to do the best of what was gifted to us.

Installation Mass of Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx

(St. Timothy Parish, Nov. 19, 2006, 10:00 AM )

Prayer & Perseverance.

i saw Manny Pacquiao's fight with Erik Morales , Saturday, Nov. 18,2006 on the HBO, PPV. What impressed me most was his devotion, his religiosity, his independence to God. He knows that his power punch, his agility, his luck are not his. He made the sign of the cross many times. (Me, when i'm driving)- When i wake up or retire at night,leave a place, pass by a church, a cemetery, any holy place or when there's lightning i always make the sign of the cross. i don't know why but it is a habitual practice, a vestige of being a catholic or perhaps a reminder of God's great love for us that He gave his only Son to die for us. A sign of the cross and a prayer is power.)

Another impression, was the great unified support shown by Pinoys. Then the fulfillment of Sarah Geronimo's dream of not only winning a singing contest but making her country folks proud by singing the Philippine National Anthem, in front of a global crowd.

Love of Country

As Filipinos, we should love our country. We should elect a leader that loves our unforshaken land. Manny's put us in the world's attention.

Of Friends

It's wonderful to have friends. They are there when you want them;  sometimes they are not when you direly them.

i have to do something everyday
as little things may form bricks
of ideas that eventually materialize into
a citadel of paragraphs building stories
and stories beyond mortal comprehensions.

and there are angels ever ready to help
and there are angels without wings
and in our mortal world we call them
Friends...

to roam this earth without friends is
like sailing on a sailboat with no wind
driving a sedan devoid of any destination
and driving not walking is your consolation.

Speaking on the Toastmasters' Club

A member called me to attend our club meeting ( i was out of circulation for many meetings because of the day: its on a Wednesday and that day is very tight in my schedule)and so i have no recourse but to answer in the affirmative. Then he asked me if i can give a speech and the title of it.

The Power of Power.

i finally found the title. It will be about persuation. Maybe the title could be punch-riddled. And i remembered Mahatma Gandhi who said - " You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be No Result."

Goal Setting

i have to utilize the 5 bricks of goal setting : 1.Destination 2.Desire 3. Guidance 4.Plan 5.Action.

6 Ps of Success

1.Power 2.Purpose 3.Passion 4.Positiveness 5.Perseverance 6.Personal Empowerment


With the above, i have to do more of daily Meditation, Affirmation and Visualization.
What the heck, we all have fear but we must muster enough mettle to slay that dragon of fear. And the power of power is within us because my friends just think on this -
26 letters of the alphabet produces oceans of words
10 numbers including zero creates zillions.... Amazing!

Greetings from Uganda

Hi Greg,

This is Max and I hope you are doing well. My travels back to Uganda were smooth. It's now shortly over four weeks since I arrived and still do not have an assignment. Hopefully I will get a call from my bishop in the coming days.

I'm currently at home with mother, helping with the house work - and occasionally visiting priest friends and classmates. How is Eve doing? My prayers are with you both; and thanks again for all you did to enable my ministry while I was in Chicago.

Greetings to all my friends in the Novena group. I miss you all and I pray for you everyday. Wish you God's peace, and increased health and strength.

Max

(Note: This is from Fr. Max, a secular priest, from Uganda who came to States for his graduate studies. He stayed for a while at St. Timothy Rectory where I came to know him.)

Why I am here?

And that's The Question!

In my everyday waking moment, a question always pops up. Why am I here? Not a complaint but clarification on the mystery of existence. And the temporary status.

Is it the desiderata? The purpose-driven life? The power of purpose? And why have I the audacity to bring this out of the open?

Recently, I met a person at Home Depot, who understood the beauty of life, of existence, of FAMILY. (Father And Mother I Love You) This person, after paragraphs of conversation, confessed that his parents are from the Philippines who left the country when he was a child. He understood Pilipino and has a heart of his birthplace. Now he is married with 2 children. The family has just moved 6 months ago from Las Vegas. He intimated that Las Vegas is only a place for vacation not to stay, live, raise children. But to retire? It's a no-no. That's his take!

I met another person sporting a southern droll. He was enthusiastic about life. He talked with great pride about what life has offered him. I listened...

And lately, I crossed paths with a religious woman who was happy to talk to my wife and me about God, Jesus, and His most blessed mother Mary. She said she has drifted and was lukewarm to his religious life that she needed a push, a motivation, persons to listen to her agony; that she is willing to listen to, to their enriching, enlightening, enhancing words on prayer, forgiveness, and gratefulness. In fact, she is very devoted to the Holy Infant who is an unfailing partner to her in her triumphs and trials.

The denouement of that shall we say the intimate talk was a question - Why are we born? Why are we here?  

After the Path to Rome was the Road Back Home

During lunch time, we poised our vision to the Chicago Loop where the widely acclaimed Bayanihan Dance Troupe of the Philippines venued. Once again we were sentimental.
Our birth country's history flashed in the colorful live dances and songs performed by the young, the talented Filipinos. Reminding us that Filipinos are lively, lovely and zestful people. Product of European and western cultures. The Cross of religion and the Torch of education and Hollywood. The country that Gen. Douglas McArthur proudly proclaimed his famous " I shall return" promise.

The Philippines is the Pearl of the Orient Seas but the social cancer of graft and corruption exits. We pray that our Mother of Perpetual Help and All Saints will come to her succor.

Path To Rome International Conference - Chicago 2006
Oct.06 - 08, 2006
My wife and I attended. Met friends who were relgion friendly.Truth seekers came from all over the States and abroad. They were all enlightened. We discovered that the Catholic Religion is getting stronger and stronger unexpectedly. We learned that knowledgeable protestants sought shelter to the Catholic Church while the weak and non-knowledgeable Catholics departed from the Universal and True Church- Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the GATES of hell shall not prevail...
Path To Rome conference series was held at the Wyndham O'hare Hotel, Oct. 6 to 8, 2006. It is the only international conference of famous converts to the Catholic Church and is sponsored by Miles Jesu.

Speakers were: Msgr.Stuart W. Swetland, STD, who became a Catholic while studying at Oxford. Has B.A. and M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford; a Div. and M.A. from Mt. Saint Mary's Seminary and S.T.L. and S.T.D. from John Paul 11 Institute for studies on Marriage and Family, Pontifical Lateran University. Currently serves as Director of St. John's Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and chaplain to Catholic Students at the University of Illinois and Parkland College.
Steven W. Mosher, a convert to Catholicsm is the author of best selling A Mother's Ordeal: One Woman's Fight Against China's One-Child Policy. His other books are: Hegemon: China's Plan to Dominate Asia and the World; China Attacks; China Misperceived: American Illusions and Chinese Reality; Journey to the forbidden China and Broken Earth: The Rural Chinese. Steve is president of the non-profit Population Research Institute and widely recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the population question.
Deacon Alex Jones, a lifelong Pentecostal who was converted to Catholicsm in 2001. He was the senior minister of 2 churches in the city of Detroit: Zion Congregational church of God in Christ (1975-82), the 2nd oldest Pentecostal church in Michigan, and Marantha Christian Church (1982-2000), an evangelical/charismatic church. While reading the Apostolic Fathers and subsequent church history, he discovered the Church to be charismatic/liturgical, hierarchical and Eucharistic-centered. The more he read, the more he came to conclude that the present day Catholic Church - and the Holy Mass - is the same exact"worship service" from the very early Church.These discoveries lead to a 2-year journey in the Catholic Church that converted 54 members of his previous congregation including 11 members of his own family to the Catholic Church. He has a Masters of Arts in Pastoral Studies and is employed by the Archdiocese of Detroit as the Evangelization Coordinator. Was ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Archdiocese of Detroit on Oct. 1, 2005 and continues to preach with his fiery passion about Christ and the Church.
Michelle McGhan, a young Mormon convert to the Catholic Church after a long search which began in her early twenties. Discovering the fullness of Faith in the Catholic Church she was never persuaded by her family and friends to remain a Mormon but remain firm in her commitment to the Truth. She said,"If God exists, then there are real and absolute triths about Him. Truths that neither we, nor anyone else can change. And, if you take the time to study, you will find, as I did, that those real, unchanging absolute truths are here in the Catholic Church". Michelle is currently a second grade teacher in Arizona.
Mrs. Linda Poindexter,who was converted to the Catholic Church, was raised in the religion of Disciples of Christ until 1959. Then she became a member of the Episcopal religion; became a deacon and then as an Episcopal priest. She was married to John M. Poindexter, Retired Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, who served as National Security Advisor to former President Ronald Reagan. She has traveled throughout the United States, enjoys swimming, tennis,sailing, birdwatching, needlework and reading. She is also a fan of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

Oct.2,2006/ Tuesday
Tempus fugit! Time flies.

Pope Paul VI said, "Tell your sons, your nephews, your grandsons; tell the people that the pope loves the Kights of Columbus. The glory of the Knights of Columbus is not based on humanitarian works alone. Even more admirable have been your insistence upon the supremacy of God and your fidelity to the Vicar of Christ. In truth you can call yourselves 'brothers' because you call God your Father and have declared yourselves ready to do his will and serve his cause...the Knights of Columbus an immense force for good."

In the pre-vatican II days, the mass was in Latin. As an altar boy, I have to memorize and mumble the Ad Deum que laitificat juventutem meam... as a response to the priest's Latin intro to begin the mass. Little did I know that I would someday become a member of "the world's largest lay Catholic family service organization. And tonight, I became one of the three new members of "these men they call Knights."

It started with an invitation to attend a meeting.

Myrna approached me and said, "Remo is going to call you as the meeting starts at seven."

"OK, I'll wait for his call." And we drove home.

"You can go, but you better eat first," said my wife as we arrived home.

Tempus fugit! And time flies. I became a member of the First Degree of Knights of Columbus, Father A. Ryan Council No. 5025, this 2nd day of October, 2006.

SAN PEDRO HOSPITAL, DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES CLASS OF '62 REUNION. Related article is : An Afternoon To Remember

09/24/06,Sunday

Priests.Music.Entertainment.Friends.

Those were the contents of the package that my wife and I received when we went to St. Patrick High School Auditorium at 5900 W. Belmont Ave. It was a day after autumn
begins(September 23). The affair was Harana sa Kabitoonan, A serenade to the Stars featuring: The Singing Priests of Caseres. I understand this was sponsored by the devotees of Our Lady of Penafrancia.

Garbed in black,white barong tagalog,the 4 singing priets of Caceres thrilled the audience with their ethnic songs and of the Bicolano's favorite- Sarong Banggi, medleys of love songs interspersed with jokes and dancing. Sung were : Maybe tomorrow, Our Love Affair, Misty Eyes in English and Historia de un Amor,Rumba beat, Solamente Una Vez in Spanish. There was the appearance of a group of 14 with 6 males and 8 female blending their notes into the delight of the crowd.

We were greatly enthralled. We were happy to meet new and old friends.

Saturday (09/16/06)

An Afternoon To Remember

Plans have been made. Lots of them. But just that! Only plans. Yet this short-notice plan of a reunion meeting came to a stunning reality. In this epoch, who could believe that a magnificent 7 Florence Nightingales of San Pedro College could be together after over 2 score years? And of all things, they were all euphoric women. They really were in the seventh heaven as their waves of laughter shook the rafters of the joint, so to speak.

They came. They met. They talked. And streams of college joys and tears gushed forth from their eyes as they recalled their yesterdays in the College of Nursing in Davao City, Philippines. Those days were momentous and beyond forgetting.

They are worthy to be in the book of records as they are successful in their own respective fields of endeavor, careers, and marital life. They are in alphabetical order: Connie, Fe, Loida, Polly, Tessie, Thelma, and Vangie.

According to Peter S. Temes in his book, The Power of Purpose," the trick to making a typical marriage work, it seems, is the balance of the good against the bad, the sharing of the whole package. If you can't help but fight over money, but then don't balance that out by sharing the small joys of a life truly shared, you might think that money problems have sunk your marriage, when in fact it's the lack of the good, not the presence of the bad, that makes all the difference. It's the total package that leads to success, the sharing of whole lives. If you give your spouse only part of yourself, if you keep secrets, if you try too hard to put only certain pieces of your personal puzzle into your marriage, you'll make a happy ending harder to find. The best prescription for a marriage is to focus on things that both partners agree on that help build the habits of caring and mutual support. "

The horizons of these Magnificent 7 Florence Nightingales are rosy. They were vibrant and full of vigor. In fact, Connie emailed, that it was a "nice afternoon. Could we meet to have another of that?" And Tess wrote, " Lunch was wonderful. we need to do it again."

That meeting in the Filipiniana Restaurant at Niles was indeed an afternoon to remember.

( By Greg Intas Alcala Caponong Trabanca )

Reflection

09/13/06, Reflection on a Wednesday

Alone. I am alone. And it's thinking time. Time to look back. Time to separate the good old days from the bad. I turn on the computer.

There's stillness in the house. Not a soul move. I cringed to my left.I saw my figure from my chair on a 3-piece mirror.On the front was another mirror; while immediately in front of me is my PC, an hp pavilion mx70.The 32-inch Sony TV is on the right with the antenna, the artificial flower and the small sony radio and CD player.

I heared a car screeched to a stop as there was a stop sign between Jersey Ave and Ardmore. And another one.

I sat. I gazed at the wall. I saw the number 38. That's 5 weeks & 3 days). A couple of days and it's done. Unbelievable!

I thought of what brought me to the facility, to meet people of wisdom in medical and spiritual fields making this world a wholesome, wonderful, happy place despite  its shattered dreams, fraudulence, and drudgery. To them, I said deep in my heart -Thank You Very Much. To All of you and to the new friends I met in that memorable 38 days, may you be at peace with God, whatever you call Him. He is our Hope, our Light, our Guide, our Healer, our ALL. Seek Him anywhere, knock on His door anytime, and of course you have to ask Him on the whys of your seeking and knocking. However, we should not only seek, knock and ask during our trying moments but also on our happy hours.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

In my mental meandering,I found these paragraphs interesting written by Carlos Bulosan (11/24/1913-09/13/1956), well-known Filipino writer writing in the West Coast, who at the age of 17 came to America and spoke little if any English. He never went back to the Philippines.This is from the introduction of Carey McWilliams on Bulosan's book, America Is In The Heart, A Personal History by Carlos Bulosan.

" America is not a land of one race or one class of men. We are all Americans that have toiled and suffered and known oppression and defeat, from the first Indian that offered peace in Manhattan to the last Filipino peapickers. America is not bound by geographical latitudes. America is not merely a land or an institution. America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world. America is a prophecy of a new society of men: of a system that knows no sorrow or strife or suffering. America is a warning to those who would try to falsify the ideals of free men.

America is also the nameless foreigner, the homeless refugee, the hungry boy begging for a job and the black body dangling from a tree. America is the illiterate immigrant who is ashamed that the world of books and intellectual opportunities is closed to him. We are all that nameless foreigner, that homeless refugee, that hungry boy, that illiterate immigrant and that lynched black body. All of us, from the first Adams to the last Filipino, native born or alien, educated or illiterate -
We are America!"

Stumbled on this from AARP Magazine (Sept& Oct.2006)

5 Foods That Can Add Years to Your Life:

1. Spirulina (blue-green algae)
Spirulina contains not only the anti-oxidant phycocyanin but also a bundle of protein, plus omega fatty acids. Once a mainstay food of the Aztecs, spirulina additionally works as an ibuprofinlike nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory. Add one teaspoon to one tablespoon of spirulina a day to smoothies or yogurt, or take it in capsule form. Caution: for some people, Spirulina can be overstimulating (kind like too much coffee), so experiment to find the right balance.
2. Cranberries, blueberries, blackberries. These are jam-packed with anti-oxidants called anthocyanins and polyphenols, which also have anti-inflamatory qualities. Try to work in a cup of berries a day.
3.Leafy greens (such as kale or spinach). They're full of lutein, another super-anti-oxidant; it's been proven to protect against macular degeneration of the optic nerves, thus protecting eyesight. Scientists recommend eating a cup of cooked kale or one to two cups of raw spinach each day.
4. Almonds and walnuts. these nuts are a fantastic source of omega-6 fatty acids, as well as phytosterols (plant sterols) and vitamin E (tocopherols). People who regularly consume nuts tend to have both a lowered risk of Parkinson's and lower cholesterol.Try to eat a quarter cup of these nuts a day whenever you can.
5. Flaxseed. It contains fiber and omega-3 fatty acids that help to clear plaque and bad fats from the cardiovascular system. The fiber also protects against colon cancer. For best results, buy flaxseed ground ( or grind it yourself) and throw one teaspoon to one tablespoon a day into everything from meat loaf to muffins.
Finally, don't forget to add these superfoods into a diet rich with lean meat, fish, and whole grains.-D.J.N.

Crossing Paths

We
meet
one day
to exchange
our experiences
down rough and smooth memory lanes
drawing us closer as
a baby to a mother.

Note: The above poem is an attempt to create a Fib. "The Fib is a poem that draws on the Fibonacci sequence; its lines consist of 1,1,2,3,5,8 (and so on) syllables. This started on a blog and then was written about in the New York Times. It's great and wondrous... in culture."

Aug.19,2006/Saturday

Santo Nino de Agosto

Saturday, Aug. 19,2006 is the 6th celebration of the Santo Nino de Agosto. This annual August fest in Chicago was the idea of Rev.Leoncio Santiago, pastor of St. Genevieve Church of 4835 W. Altgeld, Chicago, Illinois as this celebration has been
on-going in the East Coast (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Unity is the reason for this celebration; "letting devotees come together in one place, in one common worship while preserving the autonomy of each devotional group.

And why not connect devotees worldwide? Thus a website was created- www.santoninoonline.com. It has just started. It is our profound hope that this site will be connecting devotees of the Santo Nino globally.

08/15/06, Tuesday

Wanderlust


Searching for nuance and meaning
the journey leads me to question
the different portals of learning,
of street-wise friends with perception,

of places, even dangers hide.
I'm seeking for Him even far
because of my hopes, my dreams reside
and etched in the glow of that star.


I think of Him as my mission,
immortality- the beauty
in His passion for redemption.
They don't believe in His story.

When darkness surreptitiously
appears in the form of plague and war
bringing fear while the masses pray
to keep Almighty's door ajar.



Melodious notes of balmy rain
and rhapsodic smile of the sun
shatter and ease the burning pain
so that people may understand

that power resides not in them
but in the might of that Unseen
and they saw Him in Bethlehem
while Magi asked, "where have you been?"



And in a friendly foreign shore
I see my daring self adrift,
undauntedly different from before;
unknowingly a stunning shift.

A Nephew's Epistle

I saw the ZAMNAI website. Seeing the events made by the association, reading its humble roots, and browsing the letters bearing your name makes me smile with pride that I have an uncle who made something for himself and shared it with a great number. With the thought in mind I became more aware of the importance and weight you have given in your acts of true charity. The assistance your family have shared with my parents and son as well, were laid out to show that gifts are shared to everyone without discrimination. Despite the past setbacks you have experienced with sharing to those in need, especially relatives.

I have learned that those gifts were not simply material things to fulfill basic needs and desires but rather tools of learning for the keen-eyed. You have wisely shown that you can give when you have and you can do the same when you make something worthwhile out of the things God has given.

Today I have learned that saving for the rainy day and toiling more when things are better is a must for everyone to survive well in life.I am saving now for my son and the family's future. The walk upwards to financial security may be slow for the meantime, but a slow and steady pace will always better prepare one for the bigger race.

Until now I am thinking of ways to revive the dream we shared of growing a business that will fetch food on the table and help others in life. Am no quitter and will never be. I refuse to believe that only my uncle can be the one who receives and gives. You and auntie will be my inspiration to strive more and be better in life, with God's blessing. The dream will take shape while I walk the slow strides and look up to the skies.

God bless.

(Written by ChrisLawrence Trabanca Dalida, Manila,Phil.)

Memories ( On Reading David Bates' Childhood)
(03/24/05)

O lovely and sweet memories,
Of rebellious youthful air,
Like Mindanao's field and forest,
That needs tender loving care.

Witness the opulence around-
In recklessness I wander;
Asking questions on that surround;
Grasping lessons sans surrender.

Who loves not celebrations,
Birthday, fiesta and school dance,
Puppy love and infatuations,
Freedom in the tender world of chance?

Human nature of revelry;
Living what's in store for life;
Train the body and the psyche'
for the future toil and strife.

Fill young days with love, not a terror
And let me sing my own song;
The young commits not an error
As a member of the throng.

Let me play with joy and fearless
In a world of great abundance;
Let my spirit flow out ceaseless,
Curb with God's loving guidance.

You cannot stop the river's flow
On its inherent mission
Gleefully it really must go
Or change its destination.

For the youth is like a fountain
Filtered by a friendly sand
Its life-giving waters sustain
Withered field and thirsty land.

Youthfulness is the spring of life;
Coming from a tender bud;
And precious love until its ripe,
Needed for the growing lad.

Young and pliant can be molded-
The growing pains to cherish;
Doing the best and be guided;
Lessons from past memories.

Birth of ZAMNAI

Birth of ZAMNAI, a looking back

How It Started

A score and 15 years ago, there was a ZamboNortean diaspora. The urge to migrate begun. They were from the province of Zamboanga del Norte of the island of Mindanao, the second-largest island of the Philippines. Zamboanga del Norte (ZANORTE) is situated in northern Mindanao bounded on the north and west by the Sulu Sea, on the east by Misamis Occidental, and on the south by Zamboanga del Sur.  ZANORTE is known for its twin cities: (a) the orchid city of Dipolog with its beauty and charm (b) the Shrine City of Dapitan with its history and rustic quaintness. Also, of the tourist's delight, Dakak Beach with its oozing natural attraction of the bleach-white sand beach, calm blue waters, coral reefs, shaped cove, and Kodak's sunset horizon.

The Midwest

They came to America. Some on the West Coast. Others to the East Coast. A few to the South. And trickles to the Midwest at the state of Illinois, notably at the city of Chicago. They worked hard. They blended. They were enthusiastic. They beamed with the American dream. 

The Inquiring Mind

And as they chased that American dream, they wondered why there was no Zamboanga del Norte Association? Maybe, it's time to unite, to associate, to be visible, to have a sort of empowerment.

Birth of an Association

In a summer picnic of August 1989 at Schiller Park, Illinois, USA with Bishop Felix S. Zafra and Frs. King Fuerzas & TQ Solis concelebrating an Association was born called the Zamboanga del Norte Association  (ZAMBONORTH then was changed to ZAMNAI, formed with a rock-solid foundation of the guidance and blessings of God amidst the rustling wind of change. Ber "Nonoy" Refugio, a civil engineer and a Jaycee was the 1st president and Greg In. Trabanca became the 1st vice-president.

Constitution and By-Laws

The newly founded Association was in dire need of a Constitution and By-Laws to be effectively in harmony with the fundamental law of the state and the Federal government. We created one. With deletions and additions, the group finally agreed and ratified the newly-created Constitution and By-Laws that began with a preamble:
We, the Filipino-Americans of Zamboanga del Norte, the Philippines invoking the guidance and blessings of God in order to establish solidarity in achieving our goals and objectives do ordain and promulgate this constitution and by-laws.

Why Filipino-Americans?

It is a fitting tribute to the honest, hardworking pioneers who have arrived and reached a state of being a part of the land in their heart- America. They are in America and they are Filipino-Americans from Zamboanga del Norte and not just mere roots but the whole tree planted in the soil of opportunity who want to have a share in the fertile American soil which all hoped and longed for.

The Test of Time.

The Association has withstood the test of time from a small membership to a swelling many. During the 2nd president's tenure of office, the Association unnoticeably had undergone the acid test of boycotting. Out of 120 booked for the occasion, only 80 came. The Association suffered a great loss but it managed to move on and found an avenue leading to revenue to offset the great loss incurred. In fact, it discovered a gold mine so to speak.

The Dream

Unmindful of setbacks and trials, the Association moved on. It has a dream, a vision, and a purpose for Filipino-Americans of Zamboanga del Norte. It is an Association that is on the go blazing the trail for tomorrow's memberships, with its vision, mission, hopes, and dreams under the blessings and guidance of Jesus, the Lord, and Savior of the world. It welcomes all sorts of ideas for better governance.

The Heart, the Passion, The Soul

I am tearfully alone languishing

under the penumbra of loneliness
and if our world once more collides, I'll
gladly take you in my welcoming arms
tenderly cuddle you closer

to my heart so you could feel
the remorseful throbbings
of this longing heart ready
to siphon you to be a living
blood enhancing the incessant

the flow of life-giving love.



The Passion

I am passionate all because of

your timely appearance as
a lovely rose blossoming
in the garden of this perturbed
life; your petals exude a spell
that charm even a savage of a heart;

the color is blood-red shrouding
the thorns with its glow.

The Soul

I see in you the soul of love

draped in the white clouds of heaven.
in you, I see the iridescence of
living and life is immortal
with you.

(July 18, 2006, Tuesday. )

Nourcel 500 , a Whole Food Dietary Supplement

The Journey

The first time since I arrived in Chicago that I witnessed the captivating lakescape and landscape of the south Lake Shore drive. "To see is to believe" still holds true to its meaning.

Chicago's South

Taking Lake Shore Drive southward is like a leisure drive down Manila's Dewey Boulevard now Roxas Boulevard. This time the destination was - South Shore Hospital, 8012 S. Crandon Ave which is still part of the city of Chicago. Purpose: a meeting of Filipino doctors on the 4th floor conference room thru the courtesy of the hospital's CEO, Mr. Jess Ong (an accountant).

The Nurse and the Doctor

My wife and I were invited by Tess Manuel ( nurse of Norwegian-American Hospital)to this meeting. Dr. Cesareo Rivera Albano, Jr. MD (medical consultant, cardiovascular anesthesiologist, anti-aging Medicine Specialist & medico-surgical and nutritional theraphy counselor) was introducing a new product called NourCel 500 which is a Whole Food Dietary Supplement, not a Medicine.

"Life begins with the proper nutrition of every Cell"

NourCel 500 is a cellular nutritional support that could bring wellness and probably youthfulness. A whole food dietary supplement that will promote better quality of life to everyone. This is a slow process and commonly slowed further by the body's toxic condition. A BIG HELP to maintain general health, in the prevention of diseases, in the management of diseases from colds to cancer, for the proper growth and development of children, and for the prevention of early aging and its associated degenerative diseases. This is an answer to Nutritional Insufficiency and the other stages of Malnutrition. Just as Hippocrates once said, "Let your Food be your medicine and let your MEDICINE be your food."

The Product Presentation

Salad and hot foods were served. It was a lap-top round- table presentation to 5 medical doctors , 2 nurses, 2 accountants and 1 salesperson. Of course, questions pertinent to the product permeated the wholesome atmosphere compared to the temperature outside which was in the 90's. Tess Manuel and her friend gave testimonials on the efficacy of the product. At the end, the doctors were convinced that the product was not a medicine but food which is to be a medicine for long life and youthfulness. All were given one complimentary bottle each that contain 120 tablets. One doctor remarked that he could recommend this product to his patients.

The Product

NourCel 500 is made of pure Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, a highly nutritious dark blue-green micro-algae that is composed of 5 essential micronutrients: Plant Proteins with 18 essential and non-essential amino acids (55-71%), Carbohydrates made of rhamrose (special sugar), polysaccharides an glycogen-like substance called cyanophycean (10-25%), Fats & Lipids with Omega 3, 6, 9 and gamma linolenic acid (5-7%), a Spectrum of Vitamins, Minerals and Trace Elements (7-13%), Nucleic acid: DNA, RNA (1%), Phytonutrients with phytosterols,phycocyanins, beta carotenes, triterpenoids, chlorophylls, SOD and dietary fibers (8-10%). These are all highly digestible and absorbable, and its biological activity is almost 100%, making it an easy source of nutrients and energy for every cell of the body preventing "Nutritional Insufficiency", the possible "Roots of all Diseases" and the "Flint of Early Aging."

The Answer to Malnutrition

Arthrospira (Spirulina) has been studied for more than 40 years as to its nutritive and medicinal values by different nutritional institutions and universities from different countries like the U.S., Canada, Russia, Germany, England, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and many more. Since 1974, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF recommended Arthrospira (Spirulina) as the "Answer to Malnutrition" and the "Best Food of Tomorrow".

On Remembering Bishop Zafra

I write you
this as a vacationing priest
reminds me of your annual visit

as a dear friend and not a guest.

Chicago welcomes you 

and with great anticipation
invite you to special occasion 

for the Eucharistic celebration.

Your honesty
embossed in the wall of Time
is a living testimony 

of your mission in any clime.

The world now echoes with terrors 

that destroy the peace needs  prayer

your integrity and holiness.

Even as our world trembles and speaks 

in Babel of harm and disunity
we find unity in diversity.

We believe that Luzon, Visayas,

and Mindanao could find the fountain 

of understanding, peace, and love.

And we have embraced your message

of faith, hope, and love; for you're loved.

(Msgr. Felix S. Zafra died Sunday, Aug. 4, 2002, at 1:00 PM at the Bishop's Residence in Tagbilaran City, Philippines. He solemnized our wedding with Msgr. Salvador Mora con-celebrating on May 29, 1973, at St. Mary's Chapel, Dipolog City, Philippines. )

Greg In. Trabanca

Zamboanga

Blue sky, white sand, serene sea, and I 
Precious Zamboanga it's worth a cry.

This is the scenario sans doubt
Supported with true evidence
In all directions, I could shout
Because this narrative makes sense.

I combed the island of my birth
Searching for what really is this for
Only to find that there's a dearth
Of the essence of   this metaphor

I see you with your heavy loads,
As they ruined your forest, your path
Leading you to your dear abodes
Of faith, hope, love without wrath.

Embrace me, feel my aching heart
It throbs with affluent delight
Knowing that this arena's part
This life is filled with flight or fight,

A mission for Neighborliness
A devotion towards change
From decades of gloom and darkness
The people will be home on the range.

Pedestrians' footsteps are trudging
Zamboanga's sunbaked lovely shore
The seagulls echo are amusing
The school of fish dances on the ocean floor.

The sky, the sand, the sea and I
 Zamboanga, please don't you cry.

Haiku
(7/13/06)

Life

Life is like a leaf
fleets freely from green to brown
enjoys ups and downs.

Summer Moments

The halcyon moments-
somersaulting butterflies;
youthful summer days.

Graduation

Commencement heralds
graduates to soar like eagles;
new terrain to scour.

River Notes

The purling river
write passionate melodies-
quiet euphoria.

Table Kiss

Your kisses my sweet
give taste to my black coffee
in my round table.

Tranquility

Peaceful Paradise,
vibrant life flowing
in quiet serenity.

Tuesday, 1:13 AM
I received this email from a friend, Sam Rabor- a person who meant what he says, makes you feel special sans the applause but deep within the heart, and knows that life is too short to have enemies . A man who knows that a true friend is in the heart, indeed. Here's the gist. (some additions & changes in language & formatting for cosmetics are mine.)

HOW DID WE SURVIVE?

If you were kids in the mid 40's thru the early 80's you would have noticed that:

- cars have no seatbelts; no air bags.
-its an adventure & fun to ride on backs of pick-up trucks (or logging trucks back home.)
-cribs were painted with bright colors (paint's full of lead); back home some kids were born at homes attended by mid-wives (not by doctors).
-there were no childproof medicine bottles nor childproof houses.
- slicing the wind on bike riding without helmets were great,
- there's pride in backyard hose drinking and faucets as there were no bottled waters,
- there were no cell phones (our parents left us to faith in the God that loves & protects)
- we were care-free and we get scrapes, bruises, brake bones, lose teeth yet we sue nobody. We love neighbors and trust people.
- we ate cakes, bread & butter; drink sugary drinks yet we were not OVERWEIGHT because we love to walk, to outside playing, the out-of-doors. And the outside world was amiable and awesome. (Back home we would play hide & seek on moonlight nights; no sex perverts lurking & hiding . Now when somebody hides you the password is ransom. We manifest our teen-age emotions by serenading with our own voice. Karaoke was still a dream.)
- we shared. Four persons could drink in one bottle. It was not gross. Nobody got sick.
-there were no playstations, nintendo 64, X boxes, video games, cable TV with 100 channels, VCR's, surround sound, cellular phones, computers, internet cafe's, on-line chatrooms.

We have truckloads of friends. They don't have much money but they were willing and ready to lend helping hands. They were real friends in thought, words and deeds. They are vanishing breed now.

We were not all smart. Some were left behind but it was no big deal. We were not advised to see psychologist nor suffered from : - dyslexia, hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD, etc... We would simply repeat the grade until we passed. We had FREEDOMS. RESPONSIBILITIES. MISHAPS. SUCCESSES. And we would learn to deal with them.

We SURVIVED: to become great people that we are today. We admit, we were-
BORING, but we were very HAPPY CHILDREN!

Deo Gratias!

Remembering...

I have, in one way or the other, dream dreams. Some are possible and most of them are impossible. Yet this stuff makes life worth remembering for dreams never die.

And I learn from them.

Anyone who likes to learn stays young. I am a perennial student. I like to learn anything new any time, anywhere, from anyone in any which way.

I still can recall:

I am delighted to paint the days of my growing up. With no clue or plan, I plowed and plodded the green, savage fields. I saw the semblance and beauty of youth mirrored in the pool of water where carabaos wallowed, of swift flying kingfisher comfortably perched on a frond of a nipa palm patiently waiting and wishing for a sure meal, of a mother oriole garbed in silky yellow and black warbling a lullaby to her young one, of the brook that unceasingly hummed the song of life while the cicadas joyfully chirped notes of endless summer.

And Mother Nature was inundated with life, color, and love.

As I turned the sandy-loamed soil with my wooden plow, I witnessed the fertile soil curled smoothly defining the richness of hope in its wake. My carabao was submissive and willing to go another round while the sun was still friendly above us. Then I took my siesta. And I dreamed of a bountiful harvest which was a magic carpet that would lead me to my goal. ( a goal is a dream with a deadline).

The yield was promising and the task was worth the price. I gathered my harvest with a song of youthful enthusiasm. I narrated a poem about my heart's desire. Then I noticed the radiance of the sun was gradually fading and swallowed by the thick vastness of the westside field.

A quail flew. Meanwhile, a lone heron waded in the muddy water searching for a satisfying dinner. My heart yearned to see more unseen horizons; my limbs longed to plow and harrow other fields. And my mind poised to explore the engaging mystery of tomorrow.

I followed the sun in my direction. I ventured to the city with all its glare and glitz. I felt the warmth of its tempting environment. I was lured to the drumbeats of the passion of teenage dreams and the fires of adolescent love.

I was in love. With life. With the new-found civilization. The city opened my eyes to doors of opportunities, broadened my perspective, and tempered my senses. And for a moment I was in limbo.

I was dazzled. I was tethered. I was tamed.

That borderless living is a magnificent poem. A glorious essay. A short, short story of love.

That carefree life that opened the floodgate to let onrushing memories ecstatically mingle into the vast ocean of wonderful living is worth a moment of remembering.

Portraits in Haiku

I
Farmer

The gorgeous sunrise
summons the rough hands to toil
and waking him wisely.

II
Maria Cristina Falls

Like a poem of love
cascading mankind's heartlands

graces from above.

III
Birthland

I miss my country
cross of love and wisdom torch
trouble fraught but free.

IV
Chosenland

Land of four seasons
of questions and solutions
thriving with reasons.

V
Winter

Brown leaves mired in snow
remind us of life and death;
Hope and love that grows.

VI
Snow-covered Landscape

Tears of pearly white
blanket Mother Earth's belly
and the world is bright.

VII
Garden

In this Life's garden
blossoming with lovely tunes-
poems of lost Eden.


VIII
Seascape

The meandering
fills the chapters of my blog
worth remembering.

IX
Panoramic View

Who am I to ask
when the land, the sea, the sky
offer their minds to the task.

X
Pals

It is now time to
haiku the smile of living-
lovely friends so true.

And we sing:

To the poem of love and not hate,
To the people who toil and wait;
The towering mountains yonder,
And the hills and glens that don't bother

Rush and stare of city slickers,
Arrogant and trouble makers.

Let us sing:

The calm and still of the valley,
The alley, the nook, and cranny,
Avenues, highways, and byways,
Cliffs, rifts, rivers, shores and the bays.

Let us sing:

With Faith as we seize the new day,
Of people in gloom and astray,
That nation unite not divide
And only God, not men be the Guide.

And if there is breathe left for us
We sing to the future; our past.

Awakening...

In our sweet awakening
We humbly thank our dearest God
Of our parents and friends that bring
Gladness to the valley's green sod.

The comely blade of graceful grass;
Red roses color the lovely
Borders meanwhile the dawn's soft brush
Paints this rare idyllic valley.

Let the music exudes life and
Love and faith amidst dark despair-
Sow seed of hope to wasted land;
And spread unity in the air.

Let the refrains of our dear song
Echo messages of pure joy
Into this world waiting for long
The meaning of life to employ.

From: The Meanderings - Verses & Essays

Greg In Trabanca

Meanings...

The grandeur of this world led me
To search for meanings and my role
On whatever I will be
As in life, there is a gamble.

You win when you have the right card
But luck is not always with you
Yet you knew that there's an award
For those who are honest and true.

I am lost in my odyssey
I should leave footprints of wisdom
In the pavement of memory
To remind me where I came from.

There must be something, the essence
Of the seasons that come and go
Of the sun's welcoming presence;
A lovely smile when I am blue.

Success has meaning when there's love
When there's a shoulder to cry on
With grace and blessing from above
Grateful that I am not alone.

You have to seek the other half
To find the beauty of living.
That life is really for the tough
And it's not hoarding but giving.

****************************************************************
Desiderata

-written by Max Ehrmann in 1927-
(Not " Found in Old St. Paul's Church")

GO PLACIDLY AMID THE NOISE AND HASTE, and remember

what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

AVOID LOUD AND AGGRESSIVE PERSONS, they are vexations

to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and

bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

KEEP INTERESTED  IN YOUR OWN CAREER, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of the time. Exercise caution

in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not

blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

BE YOURSELF. Especially do not feign affection Neither be

cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you

in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE no less than the trees

and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear

to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

THEREFORE BE AT PEACE WITH GOD, whatever you conceive

Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion

of life, keep peace with your soul.

WITH ALL ITS SHAM, DRUDGERY AND BROKEN DREAMS,

IT IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL WORLD. BE CHEERFUL. STRIVE TO BE HAPPY.

Me

about me:
a dreamer, a student, a teacher, married and with 2 children.

interest:
dreaming. contemplating. reading. writing. churchgoing.
love to travel and study. And still pretending that life is worth enjoying...

A mpo   Pray

A ntos Sacrifice

A what Evangelize