Can you hear me scream?
Can you hear them scream?
Can you hear the whole Canada scream?
It’s tax time.
It’s time to cram and fill in the forms.
It’s time to file personal income tax return.
I’ve lost my tax receipt?
How fast can you provide a duplicate?
What do you mean it takes that long?
Have a heart so it won’t bleed.
Revenue Canada was hit by bleeding heart.
For five days the system was down to protect us.
We still have five more days to file our return.
Relax and stop screaming.
P.S.
I think I’ll apply for a one way ticket to Mars.
Mars is starting to look good the way taxes are soaring.
The amount of taxes I paid to the government is enough
to pay for two cats to keep me company in the red planet.
This is a photo of a quote taped on a friend’s favorite spot, her desk.
We read it so many times, make up meanings and meanings change depending in our moods. For most time we make fun out of it.
An ant goes round and round without
rest
Like all beings in the six realms of
existence,
Born here and dying there without
release,
Now becoming a hungry ghost, then
an animal.
If you are searching for freedom from
this suffering
You must hear the sound of one hand.
These are still resonant words.
Take a break from the clamorous rat
race of modern life.
Just listen.
She was searching for freedom from suffering is the focal point of this quote. Freedom means death. And we both just listened for it to come. And it did come for her and I did not hear it coming.
What is the sound of one hand clapping? Well, it’s actually a sign for the deaf. You raise your hand or hands and start shaking them up in the air. This is how the deaf clap their hands. No sound.
Writing can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. Writing can also be good for others who might read what we write.
Quite often a difficult, painful, or frustrating day can be “redeemed” by writing about it. By writing we can claim what we have lived and thus integrate it more fully into our journeys. Then writing can become life saving for us and sometimes for others too.
For the month of April, some of the letters in the bulletin boards are about whales, bears and dragonflies. These animals stand for respect, cooperation, kindness and courage. The students wrote what they think regarding the nature of things.
What the children wrote is based on the circle of coexistence and cooperation of nature. It is a partnership of students, teachers, staff, elders and families in the community. As a community, they can learn what these animals can teach them in life.
Letters are not enough, the children worked with their hands by creating papier-mâché which is more fun than writing, in my opinion.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin
VANCOUVER — A bus driver has had his faith in people restored after witnessing a rider wearing plastic bags instead of shoes given a surprising gift this holiday weekend — a stranger’s own shoes and socks.
The “soul-touching” interaction Saturday on the No. 341 route, a Coast Mountain Bus Co. driver of 16 years who was off-duty at the time while returning from Surrey B.C.’s Vaisakhi parade.
“It made my heart melt,” “He just took his shoes and socks off and said, ‘You can take these, don’t worry about me — I live close by and can walk.’
“People usually don’t care or even look at other people on the bus, they didn’t even want to sit beside this guy because of how he was dressed.”
The recipient was “shocked” by the gift and afterwards remarked, “What a nice guy… Did that really happen?”
I felt you. You were a pea. Then a lemon. Then an eggplant. I followed advice. I read twelve books. I quit coffee.
Could you tell I was scared?
I talked to you, sang to you… I wasn’t ready.
But then you were here. Ten toes. Eight pounds. Love. Big fat love.
I held you. I fed you. I realized that I would spend my life doing things to make you happy — and that that would make me happy.
And then there are the times I want to give up. You’ve made me rethink my sanity. You’ve made me want to fall on my mother’s feet and tell her that I get it.
But then you smile and you say my name — and you grab my hand with those little fingers.
We’re growing together. We are seeing the world like it’s new. I will open my heart and love will rain down all over you. You’ll giggle, and I’ll do it all over again. And we will walk hand in hand. Until you let go.
Recently, I received an e-mail about “Some Rules Kids Won’t Learn in School” and that Bill Gates gave this speech to a group of graduating high school.
Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it! Rule 2: The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. Rule 3: You will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity. Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, So don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. (Do that on your own time.) Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.
It sounds really good but I have a hunch it did not come from him, so I snooped around.
As it turned out this list was taken from Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write, written by Charles J. Sykes with added three more rules.
Rule 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. Rule 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) Rule 14: Enjoy this while you can. Sure parents are a pain, school’s a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you’ll realize how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now. You’re welcome.
Actually, the only reason why I am posting this is so that I have a photo of him. He is so darn cute!
It must be the season of the year that Easter feels way better than Christmas.
After being all coop up inside the house from rainy fall to cold winter, spring fever infected our family. Of course, the adults instigated all these fun and games.
Looking out
Outside
First we imprisoned the young ones and just let them have a look what the outside world looks like. Ha, the bunnies are hopping all over the place.
With the youngest as high as our knees, we make sure that it’s feasible for this young tyke to find all the goodies at his eye level. Basically we just threw the goodies all over the ground. For the older children, they might just have to climb the tree to pluck the egg.
The baby had a good five minutes head start before the older children. We did help baby to find some eggs hidden under the leaves and on the cars but he is more interested on picking the ornaments planted on the ground.
Oh what a crazy family I belong. Crazy that we are, there is so much love, support and faith in this clan.
We were all in the background, cheering and egging one another. Cars have slowed down to watch what’s the commotion was all about. Neighbors were too curious and inquisitive what’s going on. My sister was kind enough to bring them food since they are too shy to join the festivity.
Actually, anyone can join. Easter Egg hunting has nothing to do with race or creed.
stash
food glorious food
cakes laden with liquor
After the ruckus and after 40 days of NPO (nothing per orem), what it means basically is fasting, we have to feast. Food, drinks and fattening stuff to replenish all that fat we shed.
Easter is definitely way better than Christmas. No obligatory presents, no dress up, no sweat. It’s all for the glory of celebrating that rites of a living God.
Boiled eggs harden
Hard they may, they still crack
We painted some, we played more
We insisted that we do it our way
If not take the highway
Highway is not really high
It is the low road of life
For we are fragile as eggs
We can’t stand on our own feet
Since we do not have any feet nor limbs
Otherwise we rolled around
With no direction
So I say to you
There is nothing wrong with…
With a little help from anyone
For no man is an island
We are here for one another
Thank you for being there for the past 40 days. Silence is now broken.
Play is part of praying. And we know how to have fun regardless of the weather. It will be a wet soggy field for the Easter Egg hunt for the children. For sure, it will be a muddy hunt. But who cares. Oh, the Easter Bunny did come knocking on my door yesterday bearing some more chocolates. I still have yet to eat the Santa Clause chocolate from Christmas. Should I get inspired, I will just make chocolate cookies instead.
Mary Magdalene heard someone talking to her as she stood weeping outside the tomb of Jesus. She did not recognize the person at all. She thought he was a gardener.
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary”.
When Mary Magdalene heard Jesus called her name, this is the time that she recognized him.
“Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
Mary Magdalene is the first person that saw and spoke to Jesus since he died.
This is the reason I chose Mary Magdalene as my gravatar. I am hoping that one day I will hear Him call my name and hoping you will hear Him call your name as well.
We were young and restless.
We had lots of energy.
We were invincible.
We were on top of the world.
Lake Louise
One man and six women went on a trip of a lifetime. The man was on top of the world, singing you are my sunshine as he drove Highway Zero. He was surrounded by women from different parts of the world: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Jewish, Canadian and a Flip (that’s me). The man was the leader of the pack to take these women for a week of wilderness: hiking and camping.
Lake Louise is the best place in Canadian Rockies and the best way to be on top of the Rockies is to hike. Was it hard? You bet, it was! But once you are on top of the mountain looking at the glaciers and the crystal clear lake, you will forget the aches and pains that you endured. It’s breathtaking.
Balu Pass
Do you think we had enough of Lake Louise? Nope. There are more mountains to hike and climb. What do you think of 6,000 feet above sea level? Balu Pass Trail is another one. Balu is derived from an Indian name “baloo” meaning bear. We forgot that this is bear country but we were very brave to hike and reach the summit. We were surrounded by glaciers and alpine vegetation.
Orit in living colour
Orit is a fun Jewish young lady. I have fond memories of her when it comes to meal time. We took turns cooking. When it comes to cooking, of course, we have to think what to cook and shop for the ingredients. I happened to like meat especially pork and that’s what I cooked for dinner. I didn’t know at the time that Jews do not eat pork. She did not mind at all and ate the pork with gusto in order not to offend anybody in the group. That for me, she came on top for being a good sports.
“I remember promising myself should I live I would prove myself deserving of life ” ~ Terry Fox
The image of Terry running will forever ingrain in my memory.
On April 1980, Terry began his Marathon of Hope across Canada to raise funds and awareness for cancer research starting by dipping his artificial leg at Atlantic Ocean in St John’s, Newfoundland and will finish by reaching the Pacific Ocean in Stanley Park, Vancouver. It ended just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 1980. The cancer had spread out and he died on June 1981.
Terry became an inspiration to millions of people worldwide. He left a lasting legacy of annual Terry Fox Run in cities across Canada and around the world.
To date, the Terry Fox Run has raised at least $half a billion dollars or more for cancer research as every year due to a young man’s dream, courage and determination.
There are four bronze statues erected in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The statue increases its size from life-size to double the size of the first. The monument is a symbol of a great human spirit.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that ,,,,, “
We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair.
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you, enslave you; who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder.
Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men – machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines, you are not cattle, you are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
“In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it is written that the kingdom of God is within man, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. Let us all unite.”
Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world! To do away with national barriers! To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance! Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite!” ― Charles Chaplin
Quite the contrary. I must say I have grown fond of writing down thoughts that came to my mind, sharing it with you, your comments and banter. To read so many good post of essays, haiku, poems, personal thoughts, humour, arts and photography, I will sorely miss. And that is an attachment in some ways. One thing that I don’t want to lose sight is my belief and faith. And that is not an attachment. It’s my life.
On the other side of life, I received notices from friends in Facebook that they will be off-line during Lenten season as part of fasting. Thinking about fasting, I will be participating as well not in Facebook but from posting blogs. In Facebook that’s where I do most of the spiritual side of me. Lent will start on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday, March 5 to April 20, 2014.
The good news about fasting during Lent, weekend is not counted. Maybe, just maybe, I will participate on the Weekly Photo Challenge and post the Sunday Snippet. Whew, that is relief for me. This does not mean that I will abstain from reading your post and liking it. I will still be hovering around at a lesser frequency during weekdays.
What I will abstain from is commenting, thus the sound of silence.
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ― Shannon L. Alder
Mother subscribed to “Living with Christ” that I took over when she died. I changed the mailing address and kept her name. It’s a booklet of daily mass readings.
As years go by, I noticed I started receiving other mails addressed to her. Now, there are more mails for her than for me. These envelopes are coming from various charitable and health organizations asking for donations. Some mails even have greetings cards, address labels, calendars, pens, bags and other goodies. I consider these as bribes.
Who on earth is keeping my Mother alive?
I know that there is an industry that collects and sells data of name and address of other people. At the same token some organizations buy the list for solicitation purposes. I wonder if they have any idea that some people on the list are dead.
I find it rather amusing that these organizations are totally clueless. One envelope is from Heart and Stroke. Do I dare tell them that Mother actually died of a massive heart attack on March 31, 2000?
Seeing all these mails for Mother is one way of keeping the memory of her alive. I do not have the heart to return them to sender for I love receiving her mails.
Mother left us a lasting legacy of love, faith and hope.
Love is her guiding principle, faith is her foundation and hope kept her forging ahead to raise her thirteen children as a single mother. Like most parents, she wanted the very best for her children.
Mother had a tremendous responsibility to maintain love and care for one another in our family unit. She provided a modest rented apartment as our home that is welcoming. Even though our home is small, our friends and classmates are part of the family. There was a sense of belonging and ease. They even call her Mother, too.
When it comes to education, Mother wanted us to focus our energy on studying since she only finished Grade 4. Once we graduated from University, only then can we try extracurricular activities such as having a boyfriend.
Family is all about relationship of unconditional love, giving and nurturing. She loved, gave and nurtured. Her children came first and sacrificed her own personal wants; a very altruistic person. She set a good example and standard for me, my siblings, family, friends and community. The community presented her an award as Mother of the Year.
When I was younger, I cannot see through what Mother is. Only then, as I grow older and have more time to contemplate and reflect about her, I can truly say how blessed I am that she chose me to live and saved my life when I became gravely ill. Not just me but so many others before me. We are all lucky to have Mother.
Even though she’s no longer here on earth, we keep her legacy of love, faith and hope. And for as long as we are alive, we will continue to speak and tell stories to the younger generations.
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today; And give us not to think so far away As the uncertain harvest; keep us here All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white, Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night; And make us happy in the happy bees, The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird That suddenly above the bees is heard, The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill, And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love, The which it is reserved for God above To sanctify to what far ends He will, But which it only needs that we fulfill.
After a long wet coast winter weather, the street life in Vancouver springs into action. Yes, spring is definitely in the air, and we celebrated it with a hug with the resident Vancouver’s critters. There were five of them, and I met four cute, soft and furry critters that came out of their hibernation giving out hugs.
This is Duh Bear, not a grizzly bear but a gentle softie softer than toilet paper. He definitely dislikes any hunting trophy.
A reluctant hugger
Hugs for Hunger is a fundraising event to welcome spring. 1 Hug = $1 donated by the sponsor to help the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. All we have to do is give the critters a hug.
A Bear Hug
I hug all four of them, and $4 was donated to the Food Bank. What a lovely way to spend the day watching passersby giving hugs. It was definitely a joyful and happy day.
A bunny hug with pink ears. This one left me hopping for more hug and, of course, he accepts a bribe of carrot sticks for more squeezes.
Bunny Hug
To hug and Bee hug has a positive effect on one’s well-being. If you get stung, you will feel this tingly butterfly feeling in your chest and tummy. Oh, what a lovely feeling sweeter than honey.
Bee Hug
And here’s the Raccoon coming towards me ready to steal my heart away or maybe the garbage that I carry.
I’m coming to get you.
I think the Raccoon has already been to the garbage since I don’t see any takers from him. Just take a look at this one running away from him. Pepe le phew!
No, no, no, Mr. Stinker
Finally, someone took pity on him and gave him a Hug for Hunger.
Religion is a strange conversation especially when an Atheist, a Sikh, a Christian and a Catholic discuss it. I am the Catholic.
The Atheist asked me a question how do we determine Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. How many days are there?
Well, the Sikh is a mathematician and from the top of his head he came up with the number 45 days. The Christian joined in, pulled out a calendar, started counting the number of days and confirmed its 45 days.
And I said: “You guys got it all wrong. Its 40 days excluding Sunday.”
A recount ensued to prove that it’s correct. Of course, I am correct since I learnt from my error last year. I sacrificed myself for more than 40 days and I didn’t turn “holy”.
The Atheist is still not satisfied. Being an Atheist, she questions everything. Fair enough since I question everything myself, too. The next question was that these days keep on changing every year. Sometimes Ash Wednesday is early then Easter is early, as well.
This time I’m stumped for I do not know the answer. Being a Catholic when it comes to calendar of events, I just follow the schedule. It’s a worthy question and this is something I really don’t have the answer. Just like a good Catholic the answer can be found through Google.
Based on my research it all depends on:
Spring Equinox
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the following month
Ash Wednesday is counting 40 days backwards excluding Sundays
Spring was on March 21. The first full moon the following month is on April 15. The first Sunday after the full moon is April 20 and this what we call Easter Sunday. Back to the calendar, we all started counting backwards, excluding the Sundays and it worked. We were all filled with glee in learning new things.
The Atheist proclaimed: “Allah is good!” And I responded: “Thanks be to Google.”
This is the simplest way I can explain it to a cross cultural conversation without having to tell them about Paschal moon, Gregorian Calendar and a conflict in the beginning between the Jewish and Christian calendar.
”No one is ever born into Life alone. Everyone has shared the bond of family, at least at birth, and for many people, it is a bond that will follow them throughout life. For many people, it is the most important bond of all.”
I was lucky enough to have in my life a family filled with love, compassion, acceptance, and tolerance. I am what I am as a direct result of a family life where belonging is imperative. It is gratifying to my health and one of the reasons why I am still alive. Without my family’s caring nature, I cannot conceive living alone.
Reflection 25 years ago
When I was younger, I tagged along with my sister, her husband, and two boys. Have a van, and we traveled anywhere. I was more than welcome to join since I can chop woods and carry water on top of being a babysitter. Stopping on a pristine crystal clear rocky river bed to cool off on the way to the campground is always part of the fun.
Reflection of my 17-year-old nephew
I used to drive the children around and take them on a field trip. Sometimes, I am the one that takes them for the weekend of cub scouts or brings the boys along on a camping trip without the parents. Yes, they trusted me with their children. Trust is essential.
Years flew by, and I am the one being driven around by their fifth child. Making a short conversation so that I don’t distract him while driving, I asked: “Aren’t you much too young to drive as a sixteen-year-old?” He quickly exclaimed: “I’m seventeen years old!” “Oh, pardon me, young man,” I responded. His father beside him was chuckling while he teaches his son to drive. No, I wasn’t scared of a young person driving me home. I trust him.
Reflection of a one and half-year-old child
Life is all about playing when I am with my sister’s grandson. At his age, everything is magical even playing hide and seek behind a jug of water. ROAR he screamed as he was trying to scare me with his dinosaur sound.
Through thick and thin our family will pass the bonding to the younger generation. I am hopeful that we have shown them the importance of forming an intimate family unit as a cornerstone of our existence.
I must have listened to this video a hundred times. Watching the video distracts me from listening so I converted it to voice only. When I listen, I also like to jot down the words and I ended up transcribing the spoken words. The key words compassion, acceptance and tolerance are words that I will keep in my heart and put into practice.
Listen and prepare ourselves in educating our mind and hearts.
(click to listen)
When a child is born,
we do everything we can
to protect them, nurture them, love them.
A child’s heart and mind are fragile.
As they grow, we want to teach them everything we know.
We send them to school
to fill their minds with wonderful knowledge
to give them the tools they need for life.
At school they get a taste what things are like in a world outside. There’s friendship, romance, disappointment,
embarrassment, discrimination and bullying.
They are the tools we give them enough to prepare them for this world.
We have an enormous responsible and an amazing opportunity.
If we truly want to prepare them for the world outside,
we must also educate the heart.
Because to navigate the world outside
with compassion, acceptance and tolerance
we need to teach them
compassion, acceptance and tolerance.
This can begin in our schools and it can start today.
It can happen at hockey practice, dance class
and day camps and music lessons
and it’s already happening around the world
with astonishing results.
If we want our children to grow
into socially and emotionally capable young people,
we must ask for a balanced education
and put importance on educating both the mind and the heart.
I am having cravings.
I am thinking of crispy bacon.
It must be the thought of abstinence.
So, in preparation for Fat Tuesday,
I will definitely eat bacon. Yummers, this looks so delicious.
A cardiac delight.
I might just die happy eating this TONS of bacon.
I did eat this last year and
TA DA, I’m still hear.
As my prayer become more attentive and inward
I had less and less to say.
I finally became completely silent.
I started to listen
– which is even further removed from speaking.
I first thought that praying entailed speaking.
I then learnt that praying is hearing,
not merely being silent.
This is how it is.
To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking,
Prayer involves becoming silent,
And being silent,
And waiting until God is heard.
–Søren Kierkegaard, quoted by Joachim Berendt in “The Third Ear,” translated by Tim Nevill (Shaftsbury, England: Element Books, 1988).
This is part of what’s left of an ancient city of Pergamum in a modern-day Turkey. It was also a well-known center for the arts. The theatre was originally built during the 3rd century BC, modified by the Romans. The theater has 80 rows of seats, divided into three sections, with a seating capacity of about 10,000 persons. It has a very good acoustic sound system. When I was at the bottom, I could literally hear what my group was talking at the top.Pergamum is one of the “seven churches of Asia” in the Bible as written by Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘I know your works, and where you dwell… where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.'” Revelation 2:12
The two trees in the picture are where the “Throne of Satan” was built before. The throne was excavated, relocated, and reconstructed in Berlin.
Turkey is literally filed with abandoned ancient relics. Even in the city, we found a sarcophagus used as a beautiful “settee” for these young girls.
It Couldn’t Be Done by Edgar Albert Guest
(click to listen)
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it”;
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.
Yes, it can be done! VSB schools who will be participating in the Poetry in Voicecompetition are David Thompson, Magee, Churchill, Templeton and Killarney.
Today is new day.
I am creature of habit
Bird watching weather permitting
Standing at the entrance of the park
With a handful of bird seeds
The seeds will feed the birds
The joy of birds feeding
Will feed my heart.
I want to remember as much as possible
the events of my life be it pleasant or
unpleasant as long as I can. There are
times that I want to remember less.
Someone told me instead of remembering,
remember to forget. And I ponder about this
and what came to mind, sooner or latter
a time will come, it will happen without even
having to remember.
For ten days, the Sochi 2014 connected me with the whole world and it was relatively exciting time of sportsmanship. I was even surprised to see in Facebook that the Philippines joined in figure skating even if a medal is not in the plan, to be part of it is an honor.
I did not really watch any of the games, however, I kept my ears open to the daily news, the cheering of colleagues and poking my head in the office cafeteria to see who is watching the Olympics game. I’ve read some controversies about gay right activist to animal lovers. Olympics is such a political event no matter how they put it. We had our fair share in Vancouver 2010.
The Washington Post wrote a good article about this:
“In the end, it was the right thing for the Olympics to come to Sochi, for all the wrong reasons. If the Winter Games had been staged somewhere else, then we never would have seen this still-rising emblem of the “new Russia” — so visually spectacular yet suggestive of a vast chasm between potential and reality. Here’s hoping that the promise of Sochi will be real.”
The top ten:
So, what’s next? Let’s see what will be the talk at the office at the water cooler, this will be interesting.
Every day the sun rises. The light and the warmth of the sun give life to everyone and every living thing. Not just the sun. There’s the water, air and earth, they, too, give freely. They simply offer to us all that is good to sustain our well-being. There is no exception, no discrimination, and no judgement.
I am using these four elements as an analogy to how I can understand a scripture verse and apply it on my daily life.
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
I suppose I have to look at this more on a personal level.
First, I am not perfect therefore who am I to judge? Second, maybe it would help me to put myself in the other person’s shoe. How would I feel if I am the one being judge? And finally, I think judging is a sign of weakness on my part. And to put it in a facetious way, I can only imagine how ugly-looking I am should I have a “log” in my eye.
This verse reminded me about another verse “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Again, I can imagine that there will be a lot of blind and toothless people running around the world.
Seriously, I need to hold back or bite my tongue no matter how tempting it is to be righteous. This verse does not say anything about goodness or love but I believe this is the heart of it all. It isn`t easy to be as generous as the sun, water, air and earth but who says being a follower of Jesus would be easy?
Time difference: BIG Time
4 am, Vancouver, BC, Canada time
Olympic Hockey Mens finale
At this time, Im in the middle of my dream.
Should the neighbour is quiet, Canada lost.
Should I hear the screaming sound and the honking of the horns,
Lets see if Ill come out of my dreams that I`m in Sochi celebrating with them.
Hang on. There are no disappointments or calamities that tomorrow will not cure.
It’s a dreamy day, a slight dusting of the snow;
The cats are snuggly ensconced on the couch.
On a day like this, I love listening to Rod McKuen.
A writer, a poet, a singer.
I collected so much of his poetry books.
Read and reread it
Pages earmarked on some
Scribbles on the pages of the book
Names of people who I can relate to the poetry
Most of these people are long gone from my life.
Rod kept them alive through his poetry.
It’s kind of silly to keep the memories of the past
And the weight of this is a burden for most times.
I wish I could carry it with a smile just like Buddha
Life doesn’t work out that way, one must let go.
Letting go of the memories starts by letting go of the books.
I gave away all of Rod’s poetry books.
Now I am going home.
“Home is something that you carry in your head It lives within your heart forever. And so I know no matter where I go in life I’m always going home.”
The area that I work is an artsy place from paintings, photography and sculptures. One particular artwork is very interesting and is in full display at a street corner. Surprisingly enough, the sculpture has maintained its integrity. It’s about the love for three different animals: a horse, a monkey and a dog.
Horse
Monkey
Dog
These are the friends of Emily Carr and she loved her animals.
Friends of Emily Carr
“I sat self-contained with dogs, monkey and work; writing into the long dark evenings after painting and loving everything terrifically. In later years my work had some praise and some successes but the outstanding event to me was the doing which I am still at. Don’t pickle me away as done.”
I consider it as a gift and a blessing. I am more appreciative of life and to look at in both sides.
What do you think of depression or any so called “mental illness”?
One night when the lawn was a golden green and the marbled moonlit trees rose like fresh memorials in the scented air, and the whole countryside pulsed with the chirr and murmur of insects, I lay in the grass feeling the great distances open above me, and wondered what I would become—and where I would find myself— and though I barely existed, I felt for an instant that the vast star-clustered sky was mine, and I heard my name as if for the first time, heard it the way one hears the wind or the rain, but faint and far off as though it belonged not to me but to the silence from which it had come and to which it would go.
Mark Strand, “My Name,” The New Yorker, April 11, 2005
Canadian Women Rally to Beat U.S. in Overtime for Hockey Gold
The women’s gold-medal hockey game on Thursday night between the United States and Canada followed an eerily familiar script. Four years after the men’s teams from the two countries played a riveting Olympic final that was decided in overtime, the women did the same.
This time, as in Vancouver in 2010, Canada came out on top when the forward Marie-Philip Poulin beat the American goaltender, Jessie Vetter, with a shot from the left circle with 11:50 remaining in overtime. Poulin, 22, also scored the goal that sent the game into overtime.
What a moment! Exciting! We are so proud of you and congratulations, Canada.
I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor.
Be honest. What do you make?
And I wish he hadn’t done that— asked me to be honest—
because, you see, I have this policy about honesty and ass-‐kicking:
if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor
and an A-‐ feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time
with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?
Because you’re bored.
And you don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you?
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
Hi. This is Mr. Mali. I hope I haven’t called at a bad time, I just wanted to talk to you about something your son said today.
To the biggest bully in the grade, he said,
“Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?
It’s no big deal.”
And that was noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math
and hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you’ve got this,
then you follow this,
and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this.
Here, let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
Teachers make a goddamn difference! Now what about you?
It was high noon, the sun was its peak, and the heat was scorching in an open arena in the middle of nowhere in Denver, Colorado. There is a light breeze, not a single bird flying yet I could hear the chirping in the sound of silence.
Where is everybody?
Moving towards the hill, I could see a mirage of two people. When I came closer to the top, there is a lake and the figure I saw where two men fishing silently. I walked towards them, nodded my head to acknowledge their presence and walked away quietly to keep the sacredness and not to scare the fishes away.
Returning to the threshold that I walked through, I sat on the ground, leaned against the fence to shelter me from the heat. The tall grass covers me and we settled down in the quiet of our being.
Gently I touch the blades of grass, caressing it and in return, the grass tickles me. We are both pleased with each other’s company. Giving and receiving the sheer pleasure of doing nothing.
What a wonderful afternoon, feeling what is that I cannot name and then suddenly, I started crying, uncontrollably. It was so strange to feel the joy and grief at the same time.
Grass, what are you telling me?
When the emotional state I was in subsided, I said goodbye to the grass and thank it for having me. Then I returned to my friend’s place that I was visiting. Tomorrow, I am going home to Canada.
The following day before departing I quickly run to the fence, cross the threshold to say hello and goodbye to the grass. Shocked, I was so devastated what I saw. The grass was cut down. Gone.
Grass, is this what you were telling me yesterday?
“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has three components thoughts, behaviour and emotions arranged in a triangle. These are important factors in personal change. The three sides represent the three aspects of my lives. When one side of the triangle changes the rest also change. When I change my way of thinking, I will act and feel according to my thoughts. When I change my emotions, my actions and thoughts will change. When I change the way I do things, then my thoughts and emotions will alter.
Sounds easy, right? Not really. In order for me to understand the psychology of CBT, I thought of three words that is the driving force of my whole being. These are faith, hope and charity. Drawing the same triangle, I came up with this.
Then I incorporated the whole thing based on what works for me to get better. I called this new and improved diagram the Theology of CBT.
Of course, this is just for me doodling my way through a ten-week CBT course.
When CBT first came out in Vancouver, I was one of the guinea pigs. I volunteered to be one of the subjects. It helped me tremendously as well as the Faculty of Psychiatry. Of course, familiarity breeds contempt. I thought I got it all made and don’t need to carry on with the “experiment” to myself. Soon, I fell out of practice and old habits returned; automatic thoughts.
Automatic thoughts are similar to a movie; a constant rewind of a scenario mostly negative. I counted how many times an automatic thought came up in a given minute. There are 60 seconds in a minute, I must have thought of it 100 times.
I took the course the second time around two years ago and the modules have much improved as well as the therapists. The therapists are better trained, the doctors are well versed with the course and there are more participants. I speak highly of this course for anyone who needs to “get” a hold of their own well-being.
I never called this disease as “mental” disorder. I vehemently argue about this terminology. I know it is a disease of the brain and I waited a long time for someone to speak about this until I heard in TED “Understanding of mental illness.” This is a big relief for me.
Going deeper to doodling, a new diagram arose based on my love for trees and gardening. This keeps me grounded.
Finally with all these knowledge and training, I realize that medication tremendously helps. There’s nothing wrong with taking medication. Insulin is for diabetics to control the disease taken for the rest of their life. No stigma on that. Antidepressants work well for my brain to balance the serotonin level taken for the rest of my life so I may live to the fullest. Nothing wrong with that!
Pride? There is no pride when it comes to having a peaceful relationship. It’s easier for me to shallow my pride: it’s not fattening. I will be the first one to say I’m sorry in order to make peace even though I am very much aware that it’s not my fault nor it’s anyone’s fault. Pointing a finger does not help.
How many times do I have to apologize? Once, twice, thrice or maybe 7 times 7 as the good book says.
Word, ancient word I used now has meaning that is entirely different. What do I know about English definition? Can I not use the phrase “Are you happy and gay?” Gay is no longer a good word today, apparently not for it has offended the other person. The word “gay” has a negative connotation.
Apologize if I must, face to face. Follow it up in writing. “I apologize for making you feel awkward and I am sorry that it hurt you. What can I do to make you feel better?” Still that is not enough. Apology not accepted and I have to bring it to the light and tell the people who are in a position.
I feel condemned. I know the matter is not over and it will come back to me like a freight train. The train came; I jumped into it and pushed the brake as hard as I could. But the damage is done.
In the end, in front of the judges, I said “I forgive you for not being able to forgive me.”
“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while the two of you are on the way to court, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly, I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” ~ Matthew 5. 17-37
Israel has so many places that is steep in history. One of them is this Church on the hill. I believe it’s Baha’i. We stopped by to take pictures and to admire the beauty of this place.
I went up the hill to visit the old man who lives there. “It’s been a long time,” he said, “Since I’ve seen you.” “Yes,” I said, “I know. But I’d not forgot you.” Then, in welcome, he sang to me. But what I had remembered as a youthful voice full of vigor and fit for forever was turned now into a croak, a rasp, a sad affair of the heart. When he dies, I thought, a little of me will die with him. “These bones go deep,” he said with an effort as he stood there proud yet, “How can you forgive yourself?” I thought about that as I kissed him goodnight and laid him down to rest, up there on that hill. “In nomine Patris,” I said gently, “In nomine Patris.”
The poem is written by Book of Pain by John Etheridge. John wrote a synopsis of this poem and it’s quite touching. Thank you, John.
People on the Earth have not heeded environmental warnings and have lived without protecting their environment for decades. Now, due to a huge hole in the ozone layer, the Earth’s temperature has slowly risen. As a result of this temperature rise, the Earth’s core temperature has risen creating new volcanoes which are erupting everywhere. There is almost complete devastation of the Earth’s surface. However, on one small plot on Earth, a spaceship is equipped for automatic flight to a planet that is similar to Earth.
The only known survivors of the volcanic eruptions are 13 people clamoring to get aboard the spaceship. The problem is that there is only space, oxygen, food and water aboard the spaceship to accommodate 6 people.
The people waiting to get aboard the spaceship are:
a 59-year old Member of Parliament
an 18-year old, unmarried pregnant woman who is a high-school dropout
an African-American third-year veterinary student
a 30-year old Minister
a homemaker of 25 years
a Mayor of a small town in Mexico
Building Maintenance Engineer
a 12-year old Australian Aborigine
a 55-year old grocery store owner
a 23-year old female school teacher
a 45-year old male botanist who is confined to a wheelchair
a 55-year old retired plumber
President of a Corporation or Union
This material is one of a group exercise in a course I participated. The lives of these 13 people are in our hands. It was a very interesting group dynamic on how we arrived to the chosen ones and the reason behind our choices.
Your turn: who will be the lucky six people you will choose to survive and develop the Brave New World? Feel free to add in a brief explanation of your choice.
Look into my eyes. You are falling deeply in love with me. Look into my eyes. I am perfect to fall in love with. We are meant for each other, forever! You are mine! You cannot resist me for you are just totally in love with my soft fuzzy adorable body. Feel me, touch me and love me. You will do as I say.
The Grade 1 and 2 students at VSB made their own “Splat” with black paint and chalk pastels. Using toothpicks they gently dragged the wet paint away from Splat’s body to create his fuzzy fur. Heart shaped doilies were added for a finish touch with “artist’s” name written on it.
With lots and lots of love and fur balls, Happy Valentines, Love from a colony of Splats. Working for the school board, the children are the treasure in my line of work. One cannot help but fall in love with them especially when they come to show and tell what they learnt at school to our offices. They are priceless.
Apparently this is a 900 year old Viking message that reads “Kiss Me” according to runologist Jonas Nordby who decoded it. Really? Maybe it’s a Valentine’s card.
I didn’t realize kiss me is part of Viking’s vocabulary. All I know that the only thing that touches their lips is bjórr.
Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.
Since February is black history month, I am sharing this interesting piece of article I read at our local newspaper, Metro News.
Slavery never existed in Canada, right?
Portrait of a Negro slave
FACT: Many Canadians are under the assumption that slavery never existed in Canada (or not at the same levels found in the U.S.), which is false. The first recorded slave to arrive in Canada was a six-year-old boy named Olivier le Jeune from Madagascar in 1628. Most slaves were imported from other British colonies and the Americas.
Was Canada the first country to abolish slavery before other parts of the world followed suit?
FACT: Although slavery in Canada was officially abolished in 1833 politicians enacted legislation in 1793 that would set limitations on slavery in the country. The bill meant slaves would secure their freedom at 25 if born a slave, which was no help to most since the average lifespan of a slave was 20 to 25 years.
Weren’t all black slaves who escaped to Canada from the U.S. afforded all the civil liberties enjoyed by other European Canadians?
FACT: Despite the warm and fuzzy images and scenes displayed in most current-day slave narratives, black slaves who escaped to Canada faced discrimination, violence and segregation. Unlike racist laws that were found in the U.S. (think: Jim Crow), Canada had largely unwritten racist codes, which many could argue made it more difficult for black people in Canada.
Slaves who escaped north lived out the rest of their lives in Canada
FACT: Some former slaves left Canada for the U.S. once slavery was abolished in America to escape difficulties in Canada and for chances at upward mobility afforded to them by moving to cities with higher black populations. Entire generations of black Canadians were completely lost to Canadian history by moving to the U.S.
If you have the time, please view the breathtaking scenes on Jerusalem today. Don’t take too long, though, for it might be taken off any time soon because of copyright.
After a year of research and preparation, the giant screen film JERUSALEM advanced into production with an unprecedented aerial shoot throughout Israel and the West Bank.
The film will take the audiences on a spectacular tour of the Holy Land and the city once believed to be the centre of the world.
A 7-minute preview of a new IMAX film on Jerusalem. The aerial views are breathtaking and in HD Quality.
Once upon a time, my dream house will have a library. The library will be filled with wall to wall and top to bottom room full of books that I collected over the years. And then I discovered the joy of going to the library. I ended giving away most of my books to goodwill and kept the children’s books.
I never outgrew The Little Prince, All things bright and beautiful, I like you because and The man who planted trees. These books have taught me more than any self-help books that I’ve read. Besides, I love the pictures. It is true that pictures say a thousand words and I can create a different story just by looking at them.
Someone told me to read the lives of the saints to help me in times of dark night of the soul. Not just the saints but as well as people who had the courage to come back. These are ordinary people who managed to crawl out of their darkness with the help of others and divine intervention.
She was born in Sudan in 1869, kidnapped by Arab slave trades at age seven, sold and resold, suffered much trauma, abuse and brutality during her captivity that caused her to forget her own name. She was named Bakhita, meaning “the lucky one”. Life as a slave terrified her.
Click on the photo to view a brief story in video.
Forgiveness: “If I were to meet the slave merchants who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands. If what happened to me had never taken place, how could I have become a Christian and a religious?”
Eventually, in 1883 an Italian consul bought her, treated her kindly in his household, took her to Italy and was given as present to a wife of friend. When the new owner left for Africa to attend to business matters, she gave the Canossian Sisters of Venice custody of Bakhita. Here she found out that she is a free person and remained with the Sisters, became a nun and known as the “Black Mother.”
Bakhita, what a life story she had at a tender age. How does one get over the abuse she received as a child? With the help of others that cared about her and discovered that she has a new Master, her God, she recovered.
During the millennium year 2000, Pope Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita.
To this date, I can still remember where I was, what I did, what happened next and who I was with when Canada won the Ice Hockey in 2010 Olympics. It was a monumental time for me and I don’t even like sports.
“Ice hockey was actually first introduced in 1920 at the Summer Olympics. Unsurprisingly, Canada has withheld its reputation in the sport, having won the very first match at the 1924 Winter Olympics, as well as the last in 2010.”
Riding the BC Ferries from one island to another is always an exciting trip for me especially when El Capitan will announce that there is a pod of whales ahead.
A rare sighting happened on Monday, February 3 when there were two pods in sight off the coast of the harbour in Nanaimo, BC. The pod of orcas hunted the pod of dolphins and ended up killing two of them in full view of the ferry passengers.
Orcas is also known as the killer whales. They are the wolves of the sea. This is a transient group that hunts for mammals including seals. The resident Orcas eat salmon only in this area.
With the return of the dolphins and the boom on harbour seals, it’s indicative that the water is recovering This means that there will be more interaction such as this in the future.
This is the nature of things as David Suzuki will say.
In case you hadn’t realized
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you’re talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you’re, like, you’re saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical you knows and you know what I am saying?
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren’t, like, questions?
Declarative sentences—so-called
because they used to, like, you know, DECLARE things to be true, okay,
as opposed to other things that are, like, totally, you know, not?
They’ve been infected by this tragically cool and totally hip interrogative tone?
As if I’m saying don’t think I’m a nerd just ‘coz I’ve like noticed this; okay?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions,
I’m just like inviting you to join me on the bandwagon of my own uncertainty?
What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down with the rest of the rain forest?
You know?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society just become so filed with this conflicted feeling of nehneh…
That we’ve just gotten to the point we were the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since . . .you know, a long time ago!
So, I implore you, I entreat you, and I challenge you
To speak with conviction.
To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply
QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You got to speak with it, too.
Mali. Taylor. “Totally like whatever, you know?.” What Learning Leaves. Newtown, CT: Hanover Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN: 1-‐887012-‐17-‐6)
Sometimes it can be difficult to be thankful when you feel miserable. That misery usually becomes worse when well meaning people remind you of what you should be thankful for. So, let me offer a prayer of gratitude for all who struggle with depression, or any other mental or emotional condition.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me the courage to get up and face another day, and the stamina to work for health.
Thank you for holding me close when I have wanted to end my life, and for holding others who did die from depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia.
Thank you also for understanding when I couldn’t get myself out of bed to go to mass or feared confession because the very thought of facing my sins only made me feel more unworthy of love.
Thank you for providing the ability to hold up my head when people judged me, gossiped about me, or backed away during the times I became ill. Likewise, for granting me patience and understanding when those who saw me at my worst could not accept my health and so treated me as if I were still “fragile.”
Thank you for teaching me how to carry my cross for love of you, focusing on you rather than my specific pains. I know I don’t do that perfectly but you don’t care and for that I am most grateful.
Thank you for modern medicine, competent therapists and spiritual directors, understanding clergy, and Saints who had mental health difficulties. These can bolster my hope, lessen my sense of isolation, and even make me healthier.
Thank you especially for those moments, days, and sometimes months of remission when joy and a clear mind return. These are a foretaste of what heaven will be like after I have finished fighting the good fight in faith and hope.
Most of all thank you for accepting the offering of my imperfect, broken, and sick self at mass and responding by feeding and strengthening my soul with the Eucharist.
There are a couple of bus boards that caught my attention in the lower mainland. Simple photographs of men before; as a child, and now: as an adult.
Blake and Dave as children grew up from normal childhood with normal lives. Happy as can they be.
These ads attracted a lot of attention. I could see people standing and looking at them for the longest time. I wonder what were they thinking and what emotions do the pictures evoke from them.
These are their photos as an adult.
It is difficult for me to be objective looking at these subjects. Humans are not subjects nor objects. These simple photos brought out the big question: “what happened?” Good question.
Bus boards captions: Now you know where homeless adults came from ~ Blake People from normal childhoods with normal lives don’t end up homeless. ~ Dave disagrees.
This photo campaign is from Raising the Roof that provides objective facts about what and who are the homeless. Reading about it gave me a better understanding of the goal of the photo campaign. Blake and Dave are no longer strangers to me.
In our reception area at work, there is a bowl of goodies: candies and chocolates. I must admit every time I walked by, I took one or two chocolates. How many times did I do that in a day? A lot! Every time, I went to the loo, took a break, or just made an excuse to pass by the reception. One too many.
This month, I did well. Yup, proud to say. I manage not to dip my little hand in the bowl of chocolates and candies at the reception area for the whole month.
The power of self-control is so dull! Thank goodness the month of chocolates is coming up, Valentine’s day.
Being Friday and end of January 2014, draw yourself a happy face.
He never received formal art training. A mix of luck, ignorance, curiosity and delusions of adequacy somehow allowed him to start earning a living by drawing pictures before he even reached twenty, and thus abandoning a promising career as a cook for a lovely Mexican joint. – See more at: About Kosta
Daughter:
“Dad, I’m in love with a boy who is far away from me. I am in Australia, and he lives in the UK. We met on a dating website, became friends on Facebook, had long chats on Whatsapp, he proposed to me on Skype and now we’ve had 2 months of relationship through Viber. Dad, I need your blessings and good wishes…”
Father:
“Wow! Really!! Then get married on Twitter, have fun on Tango, buy your kids on Amazon and send them through Paypal. And if you are fed up with your husband….sell him on eBay.”
Question: What one thought will you focus on this year to bring more peace?
Silence and less are good thoughts.
Think about this.
“How would spirituality help a man of the world like me?” said the businessman.
“It will help you have more,” said the Master.
“How?” “By teaching you to desire less.” — Anthony de Mello, SJ
MORSEL: After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box. –Italian Proverb
When we see a story in the news repeatedly, we have a tendency to think it must be important. Thinking something is important often means we feel we should do something about it.
In the whole scheme of things, what’s really worth considering the most is the New Yorker cartoons.
The Pope and Obama are on the same stage in Yankee Stadium in front of a huge crowd.
The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, “Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display but will go deep into their hearts, and they’ll forever speak of this day and rejoice!”
Obama replied, “I seriously doubt that ~ with one little wave of your hand? Do it…let’s just see!”
So the Pope backhanded him and knocked him off the stage!
For the record: clear, blue sky, low 3 Celsius, high 7 Celsius in Vancouver, BC. Canada
Spoiled rotten. Vancouverites are just spoiled rotten. What a beautiful weather we are having. Spring like weather and we deserve it!
Temperature will remain constant until Wednesday.
“Pray don’t talk to me about the weather, Mr. Worthing. Whenever people talk to me about the weather, I always feel quite certain that they mean something else. And that makes me quite nervous.” ― Oscar Wilde
I am always fascinated what other people’s belief system and doubly fascinated when they turned 360 degrees and changed their belief system. What gives?
Reading some extraordinary stories of conversion mostly in Christian’s perspective, they are saying the experience moves them that they acted in obedience toward a reality which paves the way and does not originate from them.
To become a “new creature” is a wonderful thing during this conversion process and that they joyfully forget the way they were before. It is a tremendous grace to receive such a gift to be transformed even from a living a life of despicable act.
“I was in bed, eyes open, really suffering for the first time in my life… It was then that a cry burst from my breast, an appeal for help. My God! … and instantly, like a violent wind which passes over without anyone knowing where it comes from, the spirit of the Lord seized me by the throat. I had an impression of infinite power and kindness and, from that moment onward, I believed with an unshakeable conviction that has never left me.” This was written in a prison cell by Jacques Fesch, a French man who received death penalty for killing a police officer in 1957.
With a tinge of envy, I suppose I want to experience this without having to commit a capital crime.
Currently, I know of a person that gave up prestige, a good paying job and driving a sports car by serving the poor, the marginalized, the homeless, the addicts and prostitutes all for the glory of her God. I don’t know her story, and it does not matter. She is a vision of happiness.
Charles Dickens uses the technique of juxtaposition in the opening line of his novel “A Tales of Two Cities”:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
Unlike Charles, I will be using mostly humans to compare them with something and this brain will see the far side of life.
The Egyptians had grandiose idea of building spectacular pyramids. I envisioned that they are gigantic in order to create such monumental edifice.
Have bag will travel the Camino Way. This lady definitely will fit into this bag.
There was the bear necessities exposition in France below the Eiffel Tower. These are Canadian Bears. Can you tell which the live one is?
Blue Moon and the Rising Sun. Partial eclipse.
Dying, dying, dead trees at the Dead Sea. I get it, nothing grows here.
Just for fun, I am throwing in the jester position.
Happiness is not about maximizing and accumulating pleasurable experiences. As the Buddha pointed out, impermanence is the order of the day. Pleasures are inherently fleeting and don’t provide a solid foundation for enduring satisfaction.
When you take care of meaning, positivity has a way of taking care of itself. In other words, you don’t have to strive to be happy and collect all those extroverted types of “happy” experiences. Instead, when you engage with meaningful projects in the present moment, particularly ones that benefit others, positive emotions naturally follow. The Buddha’s version of happiness might be most aptly captured by the term that often gets translated as equanimity. Equanimity refers to being there in the middle of things, without needing things to be different than they are. Equanimity brings acceptance and interest to what is happening at the moment.
From this perspective, it is possible to be “happy” even when things are not going well. There is great freedom found in the capacity to be equanimous. Perhaps this is why the Buddha always has that contended little half-smile on his face.
The Buddha didn’t need excitement, thrills, and “good times” to be happy. His happiness was quiet contentment that abided in every moment, regardless of what was happening. Introverts, like the Buddha, have access to a rich interior experience. We need to learn to keep that inner intensity from becoming an obsession, rumination, and worry.
We can embrace this aspect of our Buddha-nature when we expand our definition of happiness to move beyond high arousal, extrovert-dominated one to include low-arousal introverted-based feelings.
Happiness resides in contentment, peacefulness, and appreciation of everything that is happening around us in every moment. This version of happiness is more robust, available, and enduring. Happiness is always ever a breath away.
Find the good on a given situation. Sounds like Pollyanna? Not really, it’s easier to become pessimistic than being optimistic. No should or could or would. These are pitfalls in everyday life. Do or do not. The daily examination, I agree with this wholeheartedly. It reminds me of the quote “unexamined life is not worth living.”
Last week at work, two boys had a bet about their football team.
A’s team is Seahawks
B’s team is 49ers
A and B are football fanatics
Let’s have a bet
Sure
The loser will wear the jersey of the winning team all day
You’re on.
Sunday:
I could hear the “roar” all the way from Seattle to Vancouver.
Vancouver, BC not Vancouver, Washington
Seahawks won.
Monday:
A brought his jersey #29, Thomas
Hanged it from the ceiling above B’s workstation
Everybody can see the jersey hanging from the ceiling as you walk in
Everybody is wondering what the deal is
A proudly exclaimed B is a loser! I started singing:
The winner takes it all
The loser standing tall
Nooooooo…. not tall
Yes, I said
Nooooooo…. small, not tall
Yes, tall. B is very tall, isn’t he?
Laughter
They were laughing at me.
So, why is B not wearing the Jersey I asked A It’s bad luck for the loser to wear the winning jersey They might lose in the game
That’s baloney, I said.
A wanted me to serenade B and sing the Abba song:
The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
There’s a destiny.
B responded:
I don’t wanna talk
About the things we’ve gone through
Though it’s hurting me
Now it’s history.
Back to work. Business as usual while the jersey hangs from B’s workstation and I hum the song all day.
Good times, good times.
Did I ever share with you that I hate technology? I do! I blamed technology when the first sign of dark night of the soul surfaced. I am overcoming this aversion to technology by joining Facebook followed by WordPress. And I am making headways. I’m still here after over a year of blogging. That is a success on my part.
To prove that I can do it, I even moved to a dot-com to learn more what’s out there. It was a challenge and still is.
Today, the challenge is the reader. Going back to some post that I have neglected to read, I don’t see them. The reader’s last post was three days ago. Mind you, some of today’s read is visible. Where did it go?
I dread of contacting the support forum once again for I have numerous e-mail going back and forth. I must say they are very helpful.
I learned that vulnerability is okay, to unmask myself, I am not the only one who faces obstacles in life, to make the most of time, to “just be,” and that I am more than ordinary.
God has numerous wonderful plans in store for me. His love is the most selfless and everlasting love.
I cannot put into words how thankful I am to be surrounded with people who love me and go that extra mile to make me happy.
Sometimes the adults wonder what the children are thinking. Most importantly, sometimes we wonder whether we have raised the children well. We can only hope that they are safe and sound when we are not around to protect them.
This is an instagram from “becca”, my youngest brother’s daughter who is more than happy to share it with me.
These are her words, the breaks and italics are mine.
Oh, the Easter Bunny did come knocking on my door yesterday bearing some more chocolates. I still have yet to eat the Santa Clause chocolate from Christmas. Should I get inspired, I will just make chocolate cookies instead.
Who on earth is keeping my Mother alive?
A Prayer in Spring
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meaning people remind you of what you should be thankful for. So, let me offer a prayer of gratitude for all who struggle with depression, or any other mental or emotional condition.
Photographs and Memories 