Crossing

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For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel like home. ~ Simon Van Booy Many times I stood beside the Crossing waiting for CN Rail to come by filled with travelers from different parts of the … Continue reading →

The Wall Outside the Box

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Ich bin kein Mexikaner! I am not Mexican! Marti is not Mexican. Neither am I. So I asked her: What is your view when the Berlin wall collapsed? Marti: Personally I was overjoyed when the Berlin wall collapsed. Many of my aunts, … Continue reading →

My Dear American Neighbour

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You have made this day a national holiday named after him. A good man. A great man. A righteous man.     The question remains: Where do you go from here? Chaos or community? Love, a concerned citizen of Canada.

A letter to America, Love 🇨🇦

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Trump admitting sexual assault. Clinton emails. Trump charity fraud. Clinton emails. Trump calls for nuclear proliferation. Clinton emails. Trump calls for national stop and frisk. Clinton emails. Trump violates trade embargo with Cuba. Clinton emails. Trump sued over Trump University … Continue reading →

Hey, What’s Up?

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Is there really a Turkey in Russia?

Road Sign: Beaver in Utero Just Ahead

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An American traveled to Canada and had difficulty understanding our road signs. He came up with a name for this sign. ‘Beaver in utero just ahead.‘ Actual meaning of the sign: Parks Canada The more he traveled in our country, the weirder … Continue reading →

Is America the Greatest Country?

My american cousin posted this in Facebook and it’s interesting to listen to it.

To my American readers or not , what do you think?

Proud to be

The highlight of my mornings going to school in the Philippines is singing the national anthem.  Then we all can start our day of studying.

We all go out in the courtyard, dress up in our uniforms, with our right hand on our left chest, eyes fixed on the flag, a conductor moving her hand the three-quarters beat,  and we sing with feelings and gusto. In doing so, this is how we learn patriotism to the country and flag of the Philippines.

Even the lyrics alone makes me feel the freedom and pride how my ancestors fought hard to gain our independence.

Land of the morning
Child of the sun returning
With fervor burning
Thee do our souls adore.

Land dear and holy,
Cradle of noble heroes,
Ne’er shall invaders
Trample thy sacred shores.

Ever within thy skies and through thy clouds
And o’er thy hills and seas;
Do we behold thy radiance, feel the throb
Of glorious liberty.

Thy banner dear to all hearts
Its sun and stars alight,
Oh, never shall its shining fields
Be dimmed by tyrant’s might.

I must say, I love the Philippine National Anthem. It was first written in Spanish, then translated in Filipino, and finally in English, a total of three versions versions you can listen here.

Symbols on the Flag of the Republic of the Philippines:

•  Blue – peace, truth, and justice.
•  Red – patriotism and valor.
•  White triangle – equality and brotherhood.
•  Three stars on the corners of the triangle – the three main geographical regions of the country namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
•  Sun at the center of the triangle – eight rays representing the eight Philippine provinces that started the revolt against Spain that symbolize unity, freedom, people’s democracy and sovereignty.

Very brief background:

•  Spain ruled the Philippine for 300 years. Magellan discovered the Philippines. Catholicism is the main religion due to the Spanish Rule.
•  America came to the Philippines.  An outbreak of war ensued between Spain and America.
•  Spain surrendered the Philippines to the America.
•  Philippines revolted against America.
•  America proclaimed that Philippines’  independence is the 4th of July.

Just a minute now, Philippines does not want the America’s national day of holiday. They wanted their own date to fall on June 12.  Finally, America approved it  on August 4, 1964 that the Philippines’ National Independence is June 12.

I am a Canadian now but deep in my heart, I am still a proud Filipino.

My heart skipped a beat – A Referrer

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Do you ever read the “referrers” in your Stat section?  I do. Do you click on the link should you see an unfamiliar link? I do. When I did visit the link of the referrers, my heart skipped a beat … Continue reading →

Parents – To honour and obey

My dear friends, 

Upon reading posts from others, we seem to be in the generation that has aging parents. 

Some with illnesses, some who are dying and some who have rested in peace. I too can receive a phone call at any given time with my mother. I just wanted to reach out and say, our parents’ generation that brought us into this world and taught us all that we know is the last of their kind. 

A generation that has seen and done more for us and America than we can ever imagine. 

I can’t imagine their fear of their children not reaping what they had sown into America as they knew it could give us. Freedom. 

My only thoughts are of our own children today. I struggle to think now too, that they will never have the story book childhood as we had. The simple life. The chores, eating at the dinner table, playing jump rope, earning and learning what we put into, a college degree that puts them in a prospective work place, buying their first home, getting married and doing the cycle all over again with their children.

 

What I do know is what I can do in my world. And that is to honor my parents by teaching my children the same values, dreams, aspirations and determination to will them into a world that may or may not heed to the same values. For we don’t know or never have been in a situation where the kind of survival deals with the survival from our own government and or country. The freedom that are being suppressed or will be taken. Laws that should still apply but are outdated simply because we can’t see eye to eye. But that’s what’s ironic. 

If we were raised on the same moral principles of our great parents’ generation, then where did we go wrong? Is it really because we lack the spiritual need of having God in our hearts? In all that we do and utter from our mouths? 

Some people are sick of hearing about religion or lack thereof, as the cause of our situation. But it’s not religion. It’s what’s in our hearts. That is the beat of our country. What we imitate in our hearts to be can only come from one source. LOVE. And who is love, kindness, generous, honest, humble, truth, respectful, teacher and most of all takes you unconditionally? 

Just like our parents on where they got their inspiration from. GOD. Following our parents teaching is following their values from HIM. 

So where did we go wrong? The answer is right in our faces. I will continue with my ways of my parents. 

Will you honor them too? ~ Maria 

This was written by Maria and we are cousins.

Note:  Maria read all your comments and she wishes to thank all of you for your kind comments.