ABC STARS Inspires

While waiting at the entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Putrajaya that seemed like eternity, I found out the reason I had to wait forever. I had to meet a young wonderful lady from Botswana. She was sitting on one of the benches and I sat beside her. Now I forget how the conversation began but I eventually asked her where she is from? She told me that she hails from Botswana.  I blurted out, "Oh, your country won over our country in a pageant!" She smiled and said, "yes she put us on the map." Furthermore, we agreed that there should not be competitions of that sort anymore as all peoples are beautiful. She emphasized specially for women. She told me they have four seasons then I retorted I love Autumn. I was surprised to know that and indeed you learn a lot as each day passes from anything or from anyone. Then, she told me roughly their population is about only two million people. Then, there are only nine of them in Malaysi...

I lost my way in Malaysia.  A light hit my eyes and it showed a prism of my true colors. Don't Wanna Lose You Gloria Estefan Sometimes it's hard, to make things clear Or know when to face the truth And I know that the moment is here I'll open my heart and show you inside My love has no pride I feel with you I've got nothing to hide So open your eyes and see who I am And not who you want for me to be I am only myself, myself I don't want to lose you now We're gonna get through somehow I don't want to lose you now or ever Baby I've finally found The courage to stand my ground But if you want me I'll be around, forever We all make mistakes, we all lose our way But we stood the test of time and I hope That's the way it will stay It's all up to you, to tell me to go 'Cause it won't be me to walk away When you're all that I know And I know That I don't want to lose you now

I love great food. Well, that is an understatement. Here, I listed down all the calorie-infused foods and delicacies I stuff myself with in the Gastronomic World of The City of Naga in random order. Some are healthful but a few are definitely not, others are endemic to the City while others are World renowned  i.e. international food chains. 1. Sbarro The Chicago deep dish pizza is undeniably filling to your heart's content. 2. Naga Garden Restaurant The chicken or pork asado mami with toasted siopao are meals to remember. Worth a try and you will be coming back for more. 3. SM At the supermarket, the best seller turon is a must try. It seems to be everyone's favorite. 4. Obscure Crispy Ulo and Crispy Pata restaurant It is along diversion road and it is just, relatively, newly opened. The name even escapes me but the savory tender meat lingers on until now. 5. Obscure Kinalas restaurant I tried it one time with a group of ...

It was a long queue at the arrival immigration area. The lady in front of me is British, she may be of Persian or Turkish descent, and the three other people behind me are British. A gentleman who is having a holiday and same with a senior couple who is also from Britain.  We talked about Brexit, BBC, New Zealand. Then, I told them I am from the Philippines. The wife said, "Oh! When we went on a cruise, your people were the ones who assisted us, but, we feel a bit forlorn because they are away from their children and they are guided by the grandmother". I nodded, and I replied, "Well, at least they have jobs, and it would pay for the bills". Then, the discussion became a little bit about Politics, so we decided to talk about the weather. They wanted to escape winter. I said the weather conditions are getting more bizarre than usual. I was alluding to Climate Change.  Then, I told them to enjoy their stay in Kuala Lumpur. They, actually, invited me to c...

We may not have a Statue of Liberty, however, we do have that, an Angel and statues of angels abound in the country. Like Brazil, we have a gigantic Statue of The Lord Jesus Christ and, of course, we have a gargantuan Statue of The Our Lady of Edsa. Perhaps, The Philippines is the most religiously decorated nation of all nations. Churches are filled with saints, angels, God, and Mary. Homes are filled with everything Christian. Cars have rosaries hanging from the rear view mirror. Here East meets West. It has the third largest English-Speaking population in the whole world.  It is a combination of Spanish and American architectural landscape. In the U.S.A. there are few gated villages. Most houses are western-style but with fences, because of the Spanish influence. Most tourists would have a wonderful time here.  When I was at the Departure Area of a Philippine Airport I was able to speak with two tourists. I was buying snacks and I jo...

Haddonfield was a bit unusual for him, he felt he had to do as the Romans do, so they say, when you are in Rome. He was not used to that, he had to greet most people he met on the sidewalk. It is customary, cordial ,  and   typical of a civilized hometown. “ Lovely day today, and have a good day ” — became his standard spiel. It felt wonderful as days went by. Why? Because you would feel that you are there and people do see you. You exist, you are worth saying hello to, essentially, you matter! Back to reality. Here in The City of Naga, you cannot do that, otherwise ,  people would think you are up to something. Here, you do not talk to strangers unless, you are asking for directions. Haddonfield has about 10,000 plus people while The City of Naga is estimated to have 1 7 0,000 plus people. The extreme contrast between the two places' population   is the primary reason why the genteel Haddonfield and the frenetic Naga are at opposite ends of a s...

photo credit: J. Tewell Natives of Albay, southeast Luzon. Philippines, about 1899 via photopin (license) License: (license) photo credit: FotoGrazio Filipino Marines (free to download) via photopin (license) License: (license) Modern Day Filipinos The Black Nazarene My Ancestor The Negrito Camera settings have gone awry. It is a good thing that I studied photography. I, literally, look like a ghost with the cameras, gadgets, etc., that they produce in this part of the globe.  When I went to Europe, at the immigration section, I passed through the gate for Europeans only. Then, the officer let me through. But, I felt bad because the Filipino companions I was with, were told to pass through the gate for Non-Europeans. To be honest, I do not like it that here in the Philippines, a few and fortunately not most, would look down on Negritos. Why would they want to do that? I say hello, to my African-American neighbor. ...

boracayphoto credit: Trent Strohm White Beach at Dawn via photopin (license) License: (license) We took a plane from Manila to the island of Aklan. I was with my older brother and our friend. For the first time, I had the opportunity to travel to Boracay. After all these years, and the hype and reputation of Boracay as one of the best islands in the world, finally, I got the chance to see and experience it, we, then, took a boat going to the island. Boracay is divided in sections from the affordable to the upscale: where the celebrities stay. We stayed at a luxury hotel. Boracay was teeming with foreigners of many races. I had the chance to talk with a gorgeous Russian woman.  Boracay is breathtaking. Powdery white sands that are soft to the soles of the feet. And the view is spectacular. photo credit: Chewy Chua super duper yummy prawns via photopin (license) License: (license) Delectable seafood. Absolutely fresh and rich in taste. The other ...

photo credit: arcreyes [-ratamahatta-] King Carlos IV and the Manila Cathedral via photopin (license) License: (license) Intramuros is the walled city of the old Spanish Colonial Empire in Metro Manila. Its grandeur was ruined by war but there has been an ongoing restoration and rebuilding of the ruins but the vestiges due to bombing are left to rubble.  When my sister went to Madrid, Spain, I asked her in sheer curiosity how was Madrid like? She thought for a moment and replied it is quite similar to Intramuros. True enough when I was commuting to work, the TV on the bus showed an action movie produced by a Film company in Hong Kong. And Chinese actors were at their best showcasing Martial Arts. Then, there was an intrepid attempt to make the walled city regarded as Madrid, Spain with a subtitle to boot.  That is normal practice for Movie Makers. Did you know that most Hollywood films that had the Vietnam era as a theme were actually shot here in The...