ABC STARS Inspires

ON September 13, 2013, Friday, is the Traslacion that ushers in the Peñafrancia Festivities. A multitude of Bicolanos and devotees from all parts of the world will be converging in the Pilgrim City of Naga to take part in the celebration of the feast of our beloved Ina, NuestraSeñora de Peñafrancia. The farthest point I originated from on a pilgrimage to this momentous occasion was Manila. That is approximately 377 kilometers. By bus, it’s seven to eight hours. By plane, it’s thirty five to forty minutes to the Naga Domestic Airport which is located in the capital town of Pili, Camarines Sur. Last June, I went with my sister and her husband on a pilgrimage to Reichenau, Germany where the Holy Blood Relic of Our Lord Jesus and the Bones Relic of Saint Mark the Evangelist are located. On the day of the pilgrimage, it took us roughly forty five minutes from the flat to reach Reichenau. From the parking area it is about a five kilometer walk to the church. My German host told me fo...

RECENTLY, I have been blessed with an opportunity to visit and travel to Germany and Switzerland. My impressions about the place and people were surprisingly endearing.  Here are some holiday highlights that made my stay very memorable during my two weeks in that part of Europe. Photo by cc Arrival at the modern, stylish, and spacious state-of-the-art Frankfurt airport made me all the more excited. I had no expectations whatsoever about the place and people. With my backpack and trolley suitcase, all I had with me were an open mind and a positive outlook. Throw in a lot of common sense, an alert mind, and always a prayer for a safe and successful journey. I queued at the immigration area where several short lines to a row of windows where an immigration officer in each booth is waiting for every arriving passenger. I prepared my passport, return ticket, and a Formal Obligation Letter (Verpflichtungserklärung). At the window, I said “Good Morning Ma’am!” and gave her my do...

AFTER the seemingly eternal airplane travel from Manila with a stopover in Abu Dhabi then to the final destination in Frankfurt, I was exhausted.  Deplaning, I felt the cool, crisp air of summer clime, chilly actually, cold to put it bluntly. So this is Germany. Abu Dhabi International Airport

Photo by cc FOR some countries their citizens need not apply for a visa, they can stay in Schengen- States for a number of days. But for Filipino passport holders you have to go through a rigorous process to travel to a Schengen-State. The Schengen area is a group of 26 European countries that have lifted passport and immigration controls at their common borders. It operates like a single nation for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The Area is named after the town of Schengen in Luxembourg where the Schengen Agreement was signed. These are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,     Sweden, and Switzerland. My destination: Germany. Take note that some of these countries do not have embassies here in our homeland. Germany has an embassy here in t...

Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia I AM a lucky tourist. Traveling is not one of the priorities in my game plan. But I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to travel abroad at least three times now. My first international travel was a graduation gift from my late father. Everything was arranged by a travel agency: the airline booking/reservations, hotel accommodations, and the tour. And no application for a visa was required. The destination was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The second time was also in KL. The third again in KL but then this time with a side trip to Singapore. These journeys gave me the opportunity to get to know the place intensively. And basing from my impressions and research I was able to make substantial observations about Kuala Lumpur vis-à-vis my home city. My sister used to always say that travelling is like studying a one semester course. I will share with you the highlights of the many lessons I lea...

Bernardita Zalazar Carpio THIS year is still the Year of Faith which is from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013. This story starts with a young woman with onyx long hair, well shaped eyebrows, deep set, brown eyes, high cheek bones, straight pointy nose, medium full lips and an oval shaped face. She looked like a movie star and in fact was wooed to be one. But she wanted a quiet life, a family life. As a single young lady she searched for her soulmate. She kept in mind the words of advice from her mentor, a Maryknoll nun, by the name of Sister Robert Marie, “If you want to find the right man whom God has planned for you, you have to be the right woman first.” She met her future husband in a dashing young man who was an Army Lieutenant. Her mother whose name is Fe (which is Spanish for faith) had ten children. She not only inherited the very Castilian features from her but also her wish to have a large brood. So on that blissful day on May 4, 1955, her wedd...