Love Month!

"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered."                 (1 Peter 3:7)

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People Power - Democracy at Work

EDSA Dos (Quezon City, Philippines, January 20, 2001)

 

Tahrir Square (Cairo, Egypt, January-February 2011)

A Special Place

     A small speck of dust floating on nothingness (or "suspended in a sunbeam" as Carl Sagan puts it)... the "Pale Blue Dot" description of Earth aptly describes the isolation of of our planet within the vast emptiness of space...

     Six thousand years ago, when people still thought the Earth was flat, and thousands of years before Ferdinand Magellan's group of explorers went around the world to prove once and for all that the Earth is round, the writer of the "Book of Job" depicts the most accurate picture of Earth in space:

"He stretched out the north over empty space and hangeth the earth upon nothing" (Job 26:7)

     The Earth's ability to support life, much more intelligent life like us, relies on the fact that the planet orbits the sun in a "sweet spot", not to near the sun that water would boil, and not too far that air would freeze. The earth's mass is also just sufficient for it to maintain an atmosphere without air escaping out into space or without making the air too heavy for us to breathe.

     The other planets, stars, galaxies, black holes, supernovas, dark matter, anti-matter and all those known and unknown objects scattered throughout space, even the farthest galaxy  -- all these exist and exert their influence on Earth and on our Solar System via the universal law of gravitation and via other universal laws yet unknown to us. In essense, the Earth is where it is and what it is today, able to support complex and intelligent lifeforms, because of the complex interactions of all the objects and forces in our universe.

     From a creation perspective, the entire universe, everything in it, has been created to provide a complex and interwoven support system that enables planet Earth to support life as we know it today. It is not by some freak accident that we came into existence in our own corner of the universe, but rather, by astute planning and by divine wisdom and intervention that is incomprehensible to man, we came to be.

     God doesn't play dice, according to Einstein. The entire universe in all its vastness and glory had to be carefully planned out and meticulously created so that one tiny speck of dust floating inside a solar system within some spiral galaxy will be able to have just the right environment to support complex lifeforms.

     Earth is indeed one special place for us. The Earth and the entire universe that goes along with it has been created just for us so that we have a place to live in and enjoy our existence. To us, it is our interplanetary vehicle in outer space. It is our self-contained biosphere. It is our home, it is our place, it is our very own space.

     But then, a more special place awaits us still -- to those who believe in the One He sent, God's one and only Son Jesus Christ.

     Earth, special as it is, becomes but a brief pilgrimage and a mere transit point to our final destination -- to some other place more beautiful than the universe itself.  That final destination is not just a pale blue dot and not just a mere speck of dust in outer space.

     It will be our very own special place.

     And what a destination it will be!

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"We know that if the life we live here on earth is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an eternal house not built by human hands." (2 Corinthians 5:1)

A Small Speck of Dust

Moving at a speed of 10.5 miles per second, the equivalent of more than 38,000 miles per hour, Voyager 1, launched on September 5, 1977, is now the most distant man-made object from Earth, having traveled more than 10.8 billion miles. Last December, after a 33-year journey and after sending thousands of spectacular images of the various planets and moons in our solar system, Voyager 1 has already reached the outer limits of our solar system.

One of the most famous images ever snapped by Voyager 1, taken on June 6, 1990, was dubbed the "Pale Blue Dot," depicting Earth on a scale never before seen.

 Of the "Pale Blue Dot," astronomer Carl Sagan said:

That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

This sure makes us feel kinda small... living on a small speck of duct in a seemingly vast and infinite creation that is the universe.

Reference: NASA

relo relo sinta

        I just noticed (after many, many, many years) that we have many clocks at home in Baguio. 

       Too many, in fact! 

       Everywhere I turned, there was this clock facing me with its incessant tick-tock-tick-tock sound that gets in your brain...  which is the reason why I removed the batery from one of the clocks in my bedroom -- the tick-tock sound literally drives me crazy especially when I'm lying in bed at night waiting for sleep to come.

       A couple of clocks were bought by mom from the department store while the rest were won as raffle prizes or Christmas giveaways by dad (he's really lucky when it comes to winning raffle prizes).

       Here they are in no particular order... all clocks galore!

At the living room...

At the dining area...

In my bedroom, above the mirror...

Here's the culprit!  Notice the time?  This one's at the headboard of my bed...

Another culprit inside my bedroom (Yup, there are THREE clocks in there!)

Even inside the toilet there's a clock to remind the user not to go overtime...

And inside the bathroom...

At the dirty kitchen...

This clock guards the entrance to mom and dad's room...

Here's a unique one...  a clock inside the cupboard to remind the time when you get some dishes out.

        So there's my clock story.  I didn't bother to check how many clocks there are inside my parent's room.  If I have three in my room, there must be six in theirs...  three for each of them, hehehe =)

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"This time like all times is a very good one if we but know what to do with it."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Burgundy Red!

        Mom really loves to color her hair: dark brown, light brown, reddish brown, black brown, etc., partly for fashion and partly to cover up some graying hair on her head.  She can be adventurous at times with the colors but it always comes out perfectly complimenting her beauty.

        So last Sunday, I got curious as to how I would look like with colored hair.  Instead of going to a salon to have my hair profesionally colored, I went to Mercury Drugstore nearby to look at what hair color formulations they have.  On their shelf display were Bigen, Revlon, L'Oreal, and a few other brands I haven't even heard of.

       Feeling a bit embarassed being in that portion of the store, my "shopping instinct" took over:  I quickly scanned the nearest shelf, zoomed in on a color I wanted, grabbed that box and hastily dashed off to the checkout counter hoping no one I knew would see me there.  And in less than 2 minutes I walked out of the store carrying a pack of L'Oreal Feria Burgundy Red Haircolor.

        The box contained all the items needed to color-your-hair-yourself: a color toner that you mix with a "developer" to activate the hair dye, an applicator bottle for quick, drip free application, a pair of gloves to keep my hands clean, and a conditioner to finish off the process.

        The instruction sheet specified that I keep the dye on my hair for 15-20 minutes for best results.  The dye was deep red in color, like the color of blood.  I opted to keep the dye on my hair for one hour for a really effective hair color treatment.  After one hour I rinsed off the solution from my hair and finished it off with the hair conditioner.

       After toweling my hair and allowing it to air-dry, I faced the mirror to see what my "new look" would be.

        The result:  Black hair, Black hair, Black hair!  All Black hair and no red at all!

        Bakit ganun?  What happened to the hair color???  Hindi tumalab sa buhok ko?

        It looks like the color just washed off my hair.

        Hehe, oh well...  Anyway, looking closer I found out that the few white hairs I had on my head were now colored Burgundy Red! 

        Cute!

        The cost:
        One bottle of L'Oreal Feria Burgundy Red Hair Color: P495.00
        Gasoline expense going to Mercury Drug: P5.00
        Total Cost: P500.00

        Number of white hair strands colored: Five (5)

        Cost per hair strand:  500/5 = P100.00 per hair strand

        Sigh...  I should have bought a pentel pen at one-tenth the cost and I could have colored my white hair with it na lang...  It could have been cheaper for me ;-)

        So there it goes... my hair color adventure. 

        Expensive no?   Hehehe.

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Credits: Dexter would like to thank the free services of Charry for my hair color and make-up...  oops... for the smile on my face pala, hehehe.
Cost:     Priceless!  ;-)

 

 

Practice... Thoroughness... Discipline

Practice makes permanent.

Thoroughness leads to excellence.

Discipline leads to success.

-Ariel Driz

Say CHEESY!!!

For the boys only... Have you ever longed to talk to a girl but you're at a loss for words? 

Have no fear, Dexter's here!

Presenting...  Dexter's Compilation of Cheesy Pick-up Lines! 

Guaranteed to make you basted in 5 seconds!

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BOY:  Hey what happend to your back?
GIRL: (checks her back) Huh? Why?
BOY:  I thought all angels had wings...

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Here's a classic, ala Vic Sotto:

BOY:  May gusto ako itanong sa iyo, wag ka sanang magagalit...
GIRL: Ano yun?
BOY:  May NOBYO ka na ba? Pwede manligaw?

ehek ehek!

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Heto pa:

BOY:  Are you a terrorist ?
GIRL: No, why ?
BOY:  Coz ur the BOMB!

naks naman!

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Curious lang...

BOY:  Hey, may I look at the back of your shirt?
GIRL: Huh?!
BOY:  Please?
GIRL: Okay...
(Boy looks at the tag of the shirt)
BOY:  Sabi ka na nga ba eh...
GIRL: Ano?
BOY:  It says "MADE IN HEAVEN".

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BOY:  Miss, are you hurt???
GIRL: No, why?
BOY:  Aren't you an angel who fell down from heaven?

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When going to a costume party:

BOY:  I like your costume
GIRL: Huh? I'm not wearing one...
BOY:  You're dressed as a cake!
GIRL: Ano kamo? Paano yun?
BOY:  Because everyone wants to have a piece of you

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Heto pa... basted in 30 seconds:

BOY:  Bet you 5 bucks I can kiss you and you won't feel it
GIRL: oh talaga? SIGE PUSTAHAN TAYO!

* Boy kisses her and pays her P5.

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Another 30-seconder:

BOY:  Do you trust me?
GIRL: Yes
BOY:  close your eyes...

* Boy kisses girl
* Girl _______ boy (fill in the blank)

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More! More! More one-liners...

• Hey, did we meet before?  You look similar to me...


• You're like SuperFerry...  Talagang trip kita!


• You're like a yosi vendor...  Coz you give me Hope and More


• You're like Megamall...  You've got it all


• You're like my kuto...  I cant get you out of my head


• You're like my asthma... you take my breathe away


• You're like my pustiso.. 'coz I can't smile without you!


• I wish you were trash... so I could take you out.


• Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?


• Hi, my name is {insert your name here}, how do you like me so far?


• HI, I'm new in town, could I have directions to your house.


• May kasama ka ba?  Samahan na kita...


• I bet your name is Mickey, 'coz you're so fine!


• Do you have a name?  Or can I call you MINE?


• Be unique, be different!  Say YES!

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Pizza and Pansit!

        When in Lucban, Quezon, try to hunt for some street hawkers or go to the sidewalk eateries there for some authentic Pansit "Habhab".

        Made from rice flour, these local noodles acquired its name and developed its unique attraction by the way it is eaten. Otherwise known as Pancit Lucban, these noodles are hawked in the streets and served on a piece of banana leaf, sans fork or any other utensils. Thus, it is eaten straight from the leaf, licking permitted, "habhab" style.

         It is eaten with lots of raw onions and a sprinkling of chili-laced vinegar... truly a mouth watering treat!

         For some cuisine adventure, drop by Buddy's Pizza and Pansit House for some Pizza and Pansit (yup, it's pizza and pansit, not pizza and spaghetti).  At least in this place you get to use some cutlery while enjoying your pansit lucban.

                                    Haba Haba Pansit Habhab!

Pizzaaaaaaaaaa!   Yummy yum yum!

        Buddy's Pizza and Pansit House is located just beside the town plaza.

        Here are some other random trips taken during the trip:

BIG Ford Van for sale... P800k only.  This was parked outside the hotel in Lucena (forgot the name) where we had breakfast.

Hop on in the Captain's seat... fasten your seatbelts.

At the hotel's entrance you'll find two turtle doves pruning themselves in the water.  Now I know why they call them "turtle doves", hehe.

In Sariaya, Quezon: I was taking a picture of the mountain in the background... That's Mount Banahaw, the "power" mountain, and it's still an active volcano.

In Sariaya, Quezon again: this is the Pamilihang Bayan project of the government where farmers can "bagsak" their goodies.  The group I'm involved with will be helping farmers use organic farming practices to protect the environment's health while increasing harvest and yield.

        Oh, by the way, it's PAHIYAS Festival in Lucban this coming May 11-15, 2006.  Expect lots of people and tourists trooping over to that place.  Expect lots of food also. 

        I wanna go back to Lucban again for some Pansit Habhab! 

   Yummy pansit habhab!  It's OK to lick your lips while eating.

         Anybody wanna tag along?

        Oh well, if I can't go back, there's always the Buddy's Pizza outlet in Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City if ever I can't control my taste buds and I need to savor pansit habhab once again.  ;-)

~florent flora