The Countdown

Click here to listen to Celine D's "A New Day"

What happened to the first quarter of 2011. It's April 1st this coming Friday. Don't be fooled, it's April fool's day! It's amazing and sometimes mind-boggling for me to feel and see how fast all things have been going. There has been times that I did not feel like waking up early Monday morning to start my week, but after several snoozes from the alarm clock next to me, I am pushed by the fact that all will be fast. Then, all of a sudden after the busy days that follow, it's already the morning of the Friday of that week, and I am now facing the weekend and time to post "TGIF" jeah! In my tweets...hehehe! Time has been marching on "faster" than before, and thats the way I feel because there is no such "down" time for me. I am always timing my hour even in swimming. My SwimSense watch records my swim time and number of laps and strokes. I like they way time goes when i am at work. Of course, if i can only slow down the clock on a weekend and during vacation. Time passing by quickly makes me not feel the challenges for a long time...They pass out quickly and easily forgotten. I love it that way...no worries! Jeah!

From today, it will be 20 days before my flight to Hong Kong. I can feel the excitement as well as the thrills of my adventure in Kathmandu and the Himalayas-Mt. Everest in Nepal...Yay! will be on the top of the world. It was only in pictures, movies, books that I imagine this gigantic mountain, now I will personally witness her majestic beauty. I am looking forward to a positive memorable cultural and scenic experience. It will be a blast!

Summer countdown now begins....42 school-work days left and summer vacation starts. South Africa here I come! I hope and pray for peace and safety travel before and by the time I visit Israel and Tanzania this June. Nevertheless, as Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid nor dismayed, for I (Lord) with you everywhere you go." This is my guiding principle each time I leave the country to travel...and it works. All my travel experiences have been pleasant both during my stay in another country and upon arriving back home. Plus the fact that I do not practice ethnocentrism when I am in another place, even in the place where I reside. I look at my experiences and observations when traveling as learning and enriching experiences that broadens my understanding about people and their cultures.

Back to summer countdown...I got sidetrack in the previous paragraph.. :)
It was last August 2010 when the "big day" at work started now we are finishing the last quarter....and I feel that I've accomplished so much in a small and fast period of time...and NO boring moments I encountered. The word "boredom" is not in my vocabulary. There is always something to focus on....but I miss the doodling sometimes. Just like today...I woke up this Sunday morning....All went by so quickly and the day is about to unfold. I was just driving to church at 10 am after breakfast at home and now I am parked here in El Racho Shopping Center in Portola, Santa Cruz after the swim with my warm coffee, of course, and protein bar while typing this blog. It's unbelievably fast, but It's the same length of time - 60 seconds for every minute and same momentum...but it feels like a reel spinner that spins swiftly! I like it being fast during work, but not during vacation and weekends...hehehehe! I guess anyone will agree. Jeah!

Despite of the fast-paced life, I am grateful for everything that happens in each week whatever the situation may be. I make it a point that there is "peace" and "contentment" in each day. I do not put my cares for tomorrow in today's agenda. I deal with the "now" since there are many to deal with what's in the present day and tomorrow has it's own cares and will take care of itself. By doing so, I got PEACE! Do you have peace of mind? I hope you have peace of mind, too.

One quote that I encountered this week says, "Life is like the dice that, falling, still show a different face. So life, though it remains the same, is always presenting different aspects." - Alexis. With the fast pace of time each day, I try to keep all in balance in a day...personal stuffs, work-out, swim, drive time, quiet time before going to bed, listening to podcasts for messages, blogs, tweets (hahahaha), and other things...I am glad that I do not have family and children otherwise I will have different focus in life. I enjoy my God-given freedom. I believe that every person has his/her own "cares" in life and they are different from others' cares, of course.

3-2-1....another day has come!


In Vientiane, Laos- Summer (July) 2010






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Oh...Life Is A Journey

Click to Listen to "Stand By Me" while reading. Thanks


Life is a journey.
It's like traveling across the seas.
As you traverse the ocean,
or encounter the air,
excitement and apprehensions always come into play.

You expect what you've planned,
but be open to surprises.
Changes may be essential
as it is inevitable,


Ethnocentric tendency is not the key
it is the "open mind" that is needed
to appreciate the beauty.

I have been grateful that all my experiences in every country I've visited in the past had been a pleasant experiences. (Of course I stay away from places that will put me at risk and places where temptations dominate (to say it...I am not into bar scenes). Many were eye-opener for me and widened my understanding of human cultural differences in many aspects. One saying I remember reading that struck me so much was about this thought: "It is not the different ethnicities of human beings in different parts of the world but the differences in cultures amongst people. In my point of view, we are all same, what differs differs are the "ways of life" and "life principles and values." Each one wears "lens" that enable us to see differently and think variably. Despite of these differences, there are, of course, universal norms that all of us know and should abide.

I treasure the positive experiences I had in each country I've been. The people I met, the culture I saw, the language I heard, the food I've tasted, the peculiar gestures I learned that may seemed to be "deviant" with my ways, and many other things including the land and water scapes of the places I've been linger in my thoughts as I reflect and revisit my experience. What a worthy adventure I had that will always be there and will not expire or decay unlike material possessions. Below are some of the countries that have a place in my heart and mind.

Thailand the land of the friendly smiles.
You inscribed in my mind the calmness of heart.

China the red dragon of the east.
What a history you have from the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC).

Egypt where the river Nile stretches her water.
You mesmerized me with the marvels of the pyramids.

Galapagos, the idyllic dream destination islands of many.
You envigorated my concerns to the wildlife diversity we have.

Ecuador, the country on the zero latitude.
You gave me the experience to traverse the Amazon river basin.

Peru, the land of mysticism of the Incas.
What a wondrous work of strength and diligence to build the Machu Picchu.

Vietnam, where Hanoi's organized chaos is an icon.
You made me witness in how Vietnamese work to be the next Asian tiger.

Cambodia, the land of the meek people and of the majestic wats.
You made me connect my heritage with what they have.

Laos, what a peaceful and country to visit.
You made me appreciate the humbling experience of the Lao people.

The Philippines, the land of the rising sun.
You mesmerize me with my past to look back.

Costa Rica, the place of the "Pura Vida!"
You instilled in my mind the diversified nature in it's pure state.

Colombia, the country of the "happy people!"
What a great opportunity to see the improvement after long-time unrest.

Panama, the isthmus between to continents.
The canals show how environmental alteration hastens communication.

Canada, the peaceful country friends to all.
You impressed me with the friendly citizens I met.

South Korea, the country of extraordinary experience.
Language, culture, people and ways of life challenge me.

United States of America, the destination that many has dreamt about.
The richness and vastness of your national parks and reserves amaze me.

Amsterdam and Japan both brought forth new cultures to me.
Amazing to see the varied lifestyles and cultural diversities.


Nepal, Hong Kong, Israel and Tanzania the next to come.
What will I find sparkling and worth-remembering?

Oh, life is a journey like in traveling the world.
You expect the expected and adjust with the unexpected.
Awareness and understanding are significant moves,
to appreciate the beauty and NOT necessarily to partake what others do.
We all have our own principles and values deeply rooted in our heart.
To understand the differences of our brothers and sisters,
respect and understanding integral values to upkeep.


Native cultural home in Vietnam, Summer 2010





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If You Were Mine

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The week went by fast and I made it through! Jeah! It's the weekend again and in eight days Spring season starts (March 20). At midnight tonight is the start of the daylight saving time here in the west coast. I am losing one hour of sleep :( Zzzzzz What happened to January and February? Both months went so amazingly fast. As a matter of fact, in a little more than a month from now I will be boarding the plane again heading to HongKong and to Kathmandu in Nepal where I will spend most of spring break vacation. I am excited to see the Himalayas and Mt. Everest and to witness and experience to a certain extent the life of Nepalese people. I am looking forward to a safe and experiential trip to Asia. As always, as with all my other trips in the past, I have been including this travel in my daily prayers and devotion, and this action has been always the reason why all my travels have been pleasant and safe. Of course, this is according to my life guiding principles. What's yours?

We cannot have all in this world...the past week was satisfying...all went according to "plan" both at work (students were good) and with my personal agenda (traveled back and forth to work safely, good swims and workouts, healthy food my mom offered me Friday night - the day I visit her after Friday work and workout) but, indeed, we cannot have all. As all know, the devastating 8.9 earthquake in Japan last Thursday 3.10.11 was the most outrageous news that has shaken, in my own opinion, the mind and heart of many people around the world. As I watched the news, my heart felt broken and helplessly felt how the people who were trapped and effected felt in the time of the hit. At that very moment, the only act I could do was to say a prayer for nature to calm down and to stop as well as a prayerful wish for the victims of these perils of nature.

The world has been shaken so well in the past year...earthquakes in Haiti in the Carribean, quakes in Chile in South America, quakes in New Zealand in the Pacific and now the most powerful quake since the last hundred years...the 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan in Asia. What does this mean? Where and when is the next one? Seismologists have been anticipating for at least an intensity seven earthquake could occur in California within the next 30 years. Who knows? As a christian, only God knows and as the song says "In His Time."

Is the world in trouble? I leave this question to you. As for me, we live in a troublesome world - both human-caused and nature-caused. There are times that heart, mind and body are in trouble and we have nowhere to go. As the song "If You Were Mine" says, "If you have a bad dream, I will jump inside...I will lead you home by your tiny hand...if you were mine." Despite of the troubles there is always someone who listens and who takes care! There is always a hope! There is always the Father as a stronghold to all encounters of life. As for other people, there are families and (true) friends who may be there on their sides in times of uncomfortable moments. I always think of a "great ending from a good start," on the contrary, I keep in mind that there could be instances in every person's life wherein a "horrible ending from a great beginning" may happen. The latter is an event that no one would like to experience. This is a reflective message I contemplated for the most part of the week. With regards to the earthquakes in Japan, there victims affected by the 8.9 earthquake, of course, who had great intentions and have had great beginnings in the different aspects in their life, who died, and others are still missing. Life is so fragile! As for me, spending it peacefully with others is always one of the noblest mantras...and I have no doubt about it!

What a powerful song "If You Were Mind" is. It has been my favorite song of the week since I downloaded it from iTune. I sound so cheesy...well, it's me...the cheesy man...hehehe. Seriously, this song of Fernando Ortega has full of meanings. As I listen to this song, synapses between the messages of the song and how the week went started to build a network and provided essential insightful thoughts on how to tackle the ups and the downs of life. There is always one who owns us. Life on Earth is not permanent but life with God is eternal.


If You Were Mine.....I would sing of Love in the blackest night...

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In the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador next to the endangered giant land tortoises. (Santa Cruz Island) Summer 2010

More Love To Thee

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This is a powerful hymn that always strikes my heart each time I listen to it at home, at work before students arrive, at the gym, while swimming, driving back home...or each time I feel down. It empowers me and makes my world to go round again. As for me, depression and loneliness are NO place for me, has never been...no down time, no boring moments, no boredom - and I am honest about it. I found myself doing something productive in each moment of each day. There has been NO day that I ask myself...What should I do now? Or there has been NO day that I said to myself "I have nothing to do...it's a boring day." As for me, time flies so fast. I always feel that all what I need to do and all what I need are accomplished timely and supplied, respectively. As Phillippians 4:19 says "And the same God who takes care of me will supply all my needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. I am a Christian and I am very proud to be one and I will proclaim it to the entire world.

Life is full of tribulations so as in the world we live in. I've tested many times in my life that each time I fight the "battles on my knees" I always win with God. My Lord favors me over other things and people because I am for Him. My Lord always comfort each time I need it which brings me eternal comfort, which in turn I become comforter and good listener to some of my friends and colleagues who are in discomfort. This is what a Christian life is -- be comforted by God so we become comforters to others.

This song "More Love To Thee" has been an a strong inspiration and meditation hymn to me because of the empowering message it brings to my soul, plus the genuine voice of Fernando Ortega who sings comes from his heart, which makes this song even so powerful to listen aside from the mighty power of the presence of the Lord each time I listen and internalize the message of it's message. Overall, the love and grace of the Lord that empowers my life.

I thank the Lord for all the countless blessings and comforts He provides me. I am grateful to be a Christian.



Outside the Salt Mine and Salt Cathedral, Colombia
Dec. 2010





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