Switching On the Sun

The discovery of fire was a turning point (picture the cavemen’s reaction) . Yet the discovery of electricity was, as it is, “electrifying”... Just imagine our lives today without it... And yet, we don’t really feel “electrified” considering we’re so accustomed to its actuality apparently reckoned as an overfamiliar necessity. Today, fire is as useful; yet electricity is a “sure-fire” means to light up our lives... True enough, electricity is a manifestation of progress. And as indeed so, Baguio/Benguet, through BENECO (Benguet Electric Cooperative) as its electricity service provider, is as fortunate. You see as above-implied, we apparently overlook such essential to simply rely on it as some “regular convenience” taken for granted with a bit of an overbearing inclination as it’s nevertheless a service that’s paid for... Lest we fail to appreciate the functionality in all its entirety. We only know BENECO as the service provider who charges us nonetheless and the receiving-end...

Truth be told as I’ve pointed out from a previous post how Baguio peeps seem impassive over celebrities, it’s not the manifestation of condescension but more on our respect for their privacy commensurate to that of our reservedness. That’s from a personal standpoint at least or from how I’ve known Baguio people to be from way back... Considering how we don’t know these celebrities personally, it’s unfair to rather assume that they have our apathy coming. Thus, having been invited to a press conference at Forest House for GMA’s upcoming reality TV for a singing competition kind of a show ‘The Clash’, there was an apparent “clash” of thoughts going on in my head as well on how I’d be addressing questions as much as how “that Baguio person” in me will still be as composed conversing with the show’s host, no less than the Asia’s Songbird herself Ms. Regine Velasquez-Alcasid. Being the big star that she is, my initial supposition was if she’s some prima donna who’d most likely come in as...

Being “Uncles and Aunties” currently , we’re actually in the middle age. Pun-intentionally, we’re “in-between” the age of old-school propriety and the generation of modern “notoriety”. We balance yesteryears’ simplicity and the complexity of today’s technological breakthrough. Yet, mostly among the young ones as we traverse “middle age”, they seem to deem it as midlife crisis. Apparently, the “psychological crossroad” though is the variability of one’s age group as to where they actually belong to, considering that there are varying generation classifications, age-wise. It’s within that turning point along a clash between getting pulled by one’s youth and being pushed to full maturity. Outwardly a case of “contend or content”. These social groupings isn’t any different from being in the middle age as it depends on life expectancy. If we are to base it on the current Filipinos’ average life expectancy rate being at around the age of 68, middle age I’d say is around 35 to 55 as c...

While it’s true that it was patterned from, as well as inspired by the far more reaching “Titos and Titas of Manila” Facebook group which apparently has been conceptualized from its recently implied premise, “ Uncles and Aunties of Baguio “ on the other hand was initially thought of and created for the purpose of a more nonchalant acceptance given its commonplace exclusivity other than reliving the good old times as an acknowledgment of the difference from any other generation. Come to think of it, the connotation behind “Tito/Tita of (what place) ” as currently referred to doesn’t actually have “that sweet” forethought. It’s almost leaning towards “that sourness” caught between “nagmumurang kamatis” and being “may asim pa” ... Imagine (say) one in his 40s at a party among a bunch most likely half his age “leveling” with the young ones still yet courteously addressed as “Tito” (not to mention, that’s with ”po” and ”opo” )... However, not to appear defensive and at the same ti...

Like the profound essence of love, this is the previous post, Stop The Hate ’s continuation... A ‘Part 2’ if you will... a sequel, a spin-off, an extension, a supplement, an annex, a growth, a reason, a portion, a plot, a subplot or anything in between, a story, the “spreading” of it and everything else... It could as well be a “prequel”. A “prequel” since ‘love’ has always been the beginning of everything. We’re all here because of love. No matter what and how our coming-into-being’s circumstance maybe, we’re here for a reason . Love is a purpose. To love and be loved is our quintessential objective. An unending affair supposedly, considering letting go is likewise a manifestation of love. Love for one’s self is a primal requisite. Thus, don’t be too hard on yourself and others... Similarly, life’s lessons are love essentials. Love endures. Along the way though, there’ll be trials and heartaches for one to possibly feel the opposite. Hate is as potent in dictating how you’d most...

And spread the love... I could have used “Spread The Love” for a title and the “stop the hate” for an onset instead... However, nowadays, a more intriguing issue leaning on negativity stirs a more engaging traction; when subject is abject. “Vilify and it goes viral; praise and it (apparently) goes to waste...” Also, I could have just merged the two as it should be; given that when you stop the hate, it should correspond with spreading the love. But then, what’s rampant along today’s society is how people would rather pay attention to other people’s “negative attributes” to conjure up prodding against those being maligned instead of focusing on (their) fine qualities that merit compliments. For some, they forego of the possibility of being labeled as “humble brags” which similarly get misinterpreted (probably out of envy) and turn into critical imputations from others. Thus, they turn into the opposite as critics instead and express something else against anyone/thing from...

As somehow a postscript to the real saying “...divided we fall” which means we fundamentally fall apart as a team when we get divided in any/every unifying aspect, “divided, we’re falling” is more like how we are already into a state of dissension by which we’re in the process of disintegrating...  This is basically what’s happening to us now. I thought I’d express my sentiments on the matter in time for the United Nations Day celebration, a commemoration of peace and unity among various races and nationalities given the diverse culture however “peace-loving” being an essential UN membership criterion. Quite timely and fitting, in preparation for the UN Day celebration, my son was given a homework which focuses on unity. He was to fill up a word for an acronym with poem-like sentences relevant to the assigned word and the subject at hand. The word/acronym is HARMONY. And these are what we came up with: H ~ Humanity restores its faith A ~ Amidst differences and hate R ~ Race...

The irony of ironies... The irony of ironies is that a fraternity brother for a neophyte has been killed from hazing by his supposedly "big brothers" who pledged an oath of brotherhood... The irony of ironies is that he died at the hands of those he thought were to eventually give him a hand, however gave him a closed fist that handed him his eventual death... The irony of ironies is that he sensed his decision to have made sense to join the fraternity of his choice based on “trustworthy members”, yet they suspiciously led him to his senseless death... The irony of ironies is that those who are expected to pick you up when you’re down, picked you up and unexpectedly put you down... The irony of ironies is that a criminal act has been committed by those wanting to fight off criminality as would-be lawyers... The irony of ironies is that these people wanting to be part of the justice system are into obstruction of justice...  The irony of ironies is that the truth...