The theme of the mass celebration this Sunday is Family. For us Catholics, today is Family Day, the Holy Family as the focus for the eucharist. Father Ferdinand was the officiating priest this morning and I find his sermon very relevant. We always attend the Saturday 6 pm anticipated mass, but for this last Sunday of the year, we went to be part of the Sunday 9:30 am mass. Father Ferdinand is a young priest but he has a deep insight on the Catholic faith, and again, I find what he talked about this morning very worthy of sharing.
What he revealed this morning was a bit shocking to me. He said, according to the study made by the church, 9 out of 10 Catholic women getting married are already pregnant before receiving the sacrament of matrimony. This indicates that pre-marital sex is now prevalent among the Filipino women that virginity is no longer regarded as sacred. Father Ferdinand also mentioned drug addiction and other problems of our society. What he considered the root of these is the dysfunctional family. In this kind of family, he mentioned that there is no open communication among the members of the family. The father is so authoritative to the point of being a dictator, whatever he says must be followed and no one can question him. He might be also always on the go with a wife busy with other things concerning herself. There is no love in the home,fear is in the hearts of the children. Without love and guidance, children tend to go astray. With families living like this, society becomes disoriented for values are disregarded.
The family is the first church. To be like this, it must be a functional family. This kind of family respects each other. There is open communication, the children are given opportunities to speak their mind while maintaining the respect for their parents. There is love among the members. The symbol for love is the heart, and the family with a big HEART is what all of us must strive for. The letter H stands for HAPPINESS....Where there is love, there is happiness.....The letter E stand for EVANGELIZATION....Parents are the first people to start eveangelizing their children. They should be the first to teach their children love of God, respect for parents and elders...They should be the one to teach the first catechism. With this kind of upbringing, the children will also be evangelizing to their children...The next letter is A..This letter means ALIVE. If you are alive, you are aware of what is happening to your children and to the others. YOu are alive to share the teachings of the church, alive to share the goodness and love of God. The letter R stands for RESPONSIVENESS. Being responsive means being aware of the needs of the family. For the wife, she must see to the needs of her husband and children. To the husband, he must know the needs of his wife and the rest of the family. For the children, they must be aware of what their responsibilities are to their parents and to the community itself. The letter T stand for TRUST. Trust is something that all of us must have. Without it, there will be problems. We must all work out to establish trust within the family.
FAther Ferdinand is right.....A holy family is what we must strive to have. Let us focus on the LORD, let Him be the center in our families. If only all families in the world would have the noble HEART to seek always His guidance and Love, there will be no wars. Let us all try to make the coming 2008 a year with a big, big, big HEART....LET US WELCOME THE NEW YEAR WITH A HEART THAT WELCOMES JESUS...!!!!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Please believe....BALUT IS A LABOR OF LOVE
Sometime, somewhere, a person have heard a balut vendor shouting, "Balut, penoy, balut!" How tempting to stop him and buy one or two of the delicious egg. If you give in to your instinct, in less than five minutes, the eggs are on their way to your big intestines. But have you ever wondered how that wonderful eggs came to be?
This morning, my husband (on vacation from his job) and I went home to Pateros to pick up the balut and red eggs I have ordered as Christmas presents to friends and relatives (my husband's relatives because mine live in Pateros). It is already a tradition on my part to give these eggs for Christmas and New Year to my friends and relatives. When I was still working, there were two batches of orders I had, one was for Christmas for my officemates and the second batch is for special friends and relatives for New Year! Can you imagine how much eggs those were? I used to order 300 pieces of balut and 300 pieces of red eggs in those past years. Since I retired, I have smaller number of orders.
If you want to buy balut, you have to order them from the balut factory in advance, otherwise, even if you have gone to all the factories, there is a 100 % chance that you will go home empty-handed. I give my orders 3 or 4 weeks before I pick them up. You see, the balut factories have regular vendors that they supply the eggs so those who are walk-in buyers and taking a chance to buy some have a very nil chance of success.
It is a tiring exercise giving balut as gifts but I don't have the heart to disappoint my friends and relatives who are looking forward to having these eggs on their tables for the holidays. My friend and former boss Dolly is always looking forward for her balut that right after she lands at the airport,(she takes her vacation in the US but goes home for Christmas) she calls my friend Terry to say she is here already and will pick up her balut and red eggs at Marcelo. Dolly knows that I always leave with Terry her share. After getting the eggs from the "balutan", the next step now is to wash and clean each and everyone of the eggs before I put them in water to boil for one hour or more. Did it not occur to you how come the shells are so clean you can sip the soup from it? Have you noticed that the eggs you buy from the stores are with stains and patches of dirt while the balut are so clean? That is right, each one of the eggs you eat is gingerly washed and cleaned (mine with scotchbrite). So if your arithmetic is right, the 300 balut eggs I bought would take at least one hour to 1 1/2 hours to clean. Then, another one to two hours in cooking them. The next step is to pack them carefully so that not one would break.
The time is now to explain why you should believe me when I say "Balut Is A Labor of Love." I cannot say that what I am saying is 100% accurate because what I will tell is from what I have seen and observed when I used to live in Pateros where my parents used to have a small balut factory. First, there were thousands of eggs being delivered three times a week. The "balut-maker" would then examine each one of the eggs that will be part of the "subo". "Subo" means the batch that will be put in the "taong" to be processed as balut. In my parent's case, the "subo" is three times a week. For bigger balutan, the number is more. The eggs that did not qualify were then classified as "sariwa" that would either find their way to the vendors' bags, or to the salty-mud to be made into red eggs. Then, the "mambabalot" or the balut-maker will see to it that the eggs are in the right temperature morning and afternoon. He knows that the temperature of the eggs is right just by putting the egg in his cheek. ( I wonder how he knows this!) Those eggs that did not maintain the right temperature have a chance of being spoiled so they need to be separated from the "panyo" (the cloth where the balut is placed). He does this by putting each one of the thousands of eggs under a light to see if the egg is still alive. But the "silaw" as the practice is called is only done in the morning (from what I remember). Those eggs that died are then removed the "panyo" and from the taong and are being labeled penoy. Penoy might be called "higupin" or tuyo. So, for 18 days, each one of the thousands of eggs are carefully handled one by one to monitor that the chick is alive. After that day, they land into the streets and being sold as "Balut sa puti".
The balut factories are also faced with problems specially the weather. In this time of the year, December, it is hard to maintain the right temperature because of the cold season. Sometimes, you will buy balut and find the "sisiw" too big and the "bato" too big also. It is not of good quality. In this case, the balut-maker wasn't able to get the right temperature to sustain the proper growth of the egg. In some seasons of the year, like the rainy season, balut is sometimes "bahora" which means that the supply is too much when the demand is too little. I remember that to solve this, my parents and the other balut operators would join hands to keep the over supply in cold storage.
But I have good news to share. A few months ago, at ShopTalk, Pia Hontiveros had as her guest Andy Concio, a neighor of ours, who is now into preserving balut and has a vision of exporting balut to other countries. I just don't remember if he has already done this. There is now adobong balut and other varieties. He has an outlet at Tiendesitas. So those of you who would like to taste this novelty, try to visit him there.
If ever you happen to eat balut, try to think of how the egg was lovingly handled by each one who processed it before it landed on your hands. Then, savor the taste, then thank those who made it possible for you to eat the delicacy.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
This morning, my husband (on vacation from his job) and I went home to Pateros to pick up the balut and red eggs I have ordered as Christmas presents to friends and relatives (my husband's relatives because mine live in Pateros). It is already a tradition on my part to give these eggs for Christmas and New Year to my friends and relatives. When I was still working, there were two batches of orders I had, one was for Christmas for my officemates and the second batch is for special friends and relatives for New Year! Can you imagine how much eggs those were? I used to order 300 pieces of balut and 300 pieces of red eggs in those past years. Since I retired, I have smaller number of orders.
If you want to buy balut, you have to order them from the balut factory in advance, otherwise, even if you have gone to all the factories, there is a 100 % chance that you will go home empty-handed. I give my orders 3 or 4 weeks before I pick them up. You see, the balut factories have regular vendors that they supply the eggs so those who are walk-in buyers and taking a chance to buy some have a very nil chance of success.
It is a tiring exercise giving balut as gifts but I don't have the heart to disappoint my friends and relatives who are looking forward to having these eggs on their tables for the holidays. My friend and former boss Dolly is always looking forward for her balut that right after she lands at the airport,(she takes her vacation in the US but goes home for Christmas) she calls my friend Terry to say she is here already and will pick up her balut and red eggs at Marcelo. Dolly knows that I always leave with Terry her share. After getting the eggs from the "balutan", the next step now is to wash and clean each and everyone of the eggs before I put them in water to boil for one hour or more. Did it not occur to you how come the shells are so clean you can sip the soup from it? Have you noticed that the eggs you buy from the stores are with stains and patches of dirt while the balut are so clean? That is right, each one of the eggs you eat is gingerly washed and cleaned (mine with scotchbrite). So if your arithmetic is right, the 300 balut eggs I bought would take at least one hour to 1 1/2 hours to clean. Then, another one to two hours in cooking them. The next step is to pack them carefully so that not one would break.
The time is now to explain why you should believe me when I say "Balut Is A Labor of Love." I cannot say that what I am saying is 100% accurate because what I will tell is from what I have seen and observed when I used to live in Pateros where my parents used to have a small balut factory. First, there were thousands of eggs being delivered three times a week. The "balut-maker" would then examine each one of the eggs that will be part of the "subo". "Subo" means the batch that will be put in the "taong" to be processed as balut. In my parent's case, the "subo" is three times a week. For bigger balutan, the number is more. The eggs that did not qualify were then classified as "sariwa" that would either find their way to the vendors' bags, or to the salty-mud to be made into red eggs. Then, the "mambabalot" or the balut-maker will see to it that the eggs are in the right temperature morning and afternoon. He knows that the temperature of the eggs is right just by putting the egg in his cheek. ( I wonder how he knows this!) Those eggs that did not maintain the right temperature have a chance of being spoiled so they need to be separated from the "panyo" (the cloth where the balut is placed). He does this by putting each one of the thousands of eggs under a light to see if the egg is still alive. But the "silaw" as the practice is called is only done in the morning (from what I remember). Those eggs that died are then removed the "panyo" and from the taong and are being labeled penoy. Penoy might be called "higupin" or tuyo. So, for 18 days, each one of the thousands of eggs are carefully handled one by one to monitor that the chick is alive. After that day, they land into the streets and being sold as "Balut sa puti".
The balut factories are also faced with problems specially the weather. In this time of the year, December, it is hard to maintain the right temperature because of the cold season. Sometimes, you will buy balut and find the "sisiw" too big and the "bato" too big also. It is not of good quality. In this case, the balut-maker wasn't able to get the right temperature to sustain the proper growth of the egg. In some seasons of the year, like the rainy season, balut is sometimes "bahora" which means that the supply is too much when the demand is too little. I remember that to solve this, my parents and the other balut operators would join hands to keep the over supply in cold storage.
But I have good news to share. A few months ago, at ShopTalk, Pia Hontiveros had as her guest Andy Concio, a neighor of ours, who is now into preserving balut and has a vision of exporting balut to other countries. I just don't remember if he has already done this. There is now adobong balut and other varieties. He has an outlet at Tiendesitas. So those of you who would like to taste this novelty, try to visit him there.
If ever you happen to eat balut, try to think of how the egg was lovingly handled by each one who processed it before it landed on your hands. Then, savor the taste, then thank those who made it possible for you to eat the delicacy.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Scars From Migration
Christmas time is always a much awaited time of the year. For me, it is always a time to enjoy the season with family and friends. In the past years, by this time, I had been already very busy cleaning the house, preparing the rooms, assembling the old Christmas tree (that had seen many better years), planning on where to take my family for overnight swimming, to the beach or just a resort, because in those years, one or any of my siblings with their families were to stay with us for three to four weeks for the holidays. Now, many of my nephews and nieces are already married with children of their own. Without nannies, it is now the occupation of my elder sister Zeny to take care of her "apos". They were here in 2005 but not Christmas time, that was April to May. My other sister now lives in the USA, so she is exempted from taking care of her apo Lewis who lives in Melbourne. Since my nieces and nephews are all grown ups, it is difficult for them to go home altogether for the holidays here with their parents. "kanya-kanya na silang lakad".
Like many Filipinos seeking greener pastures, all of my siblings, 2 brothers and 2 sisters migrated to Australia. The first to migrate in 1977 was my eldest sister who worked with Bank of America that time while her husband worked as a programmer at Meralco. They lived comfortably well in their own house with their two daughters studying at St. Pauls College, Pasig. But martial law came and Meralco was under the Marcos family. My brother in law and his officemates were disappointed and unhappy...almost all of the programmers migrated either to Canada or Australia. With all the qualifications met, my sister and brother in law migrated to Australia in January 1977. My aunt (the sister of my father) who was an elementary school principal was very concerned about my sister because my sister was her favorite niece. Even in her death bed, she was thinking of her and her children. She died (1978)happy becasue she said before her last breath, she was able to see my sister and her family in Australia and they were all fine.
My parents were not very worried about my sister's family because that time, programmers were really much in demand. I was still single then so I decided to go and visit my sister in Australia. From last week of June to August 16, 1980, I had tasted the life of a migrant family. In the morning, they all grabbed a little breakfast and head on to office and school. The children have their own keys to the flat (they have no house yet that time). At around 3 pm, the children were already home from school. My eldest niece will cook the rice for dinner, wash her winter uniform and her sister's uniform because wool shrinks if washed in the washing machine so that the uniform will be dry for next week. They would watch tv until their parents arrive at around 6 or 7 in the evening. Saturday mornings were for marketing and groceries and the afternoon, for cooking the entire "ulam" for the week. If there was no time for cooking, it meant buying the food from the chinese store or ordering from a Filipino who delivered the food. "Para silang hinahabol ng kung anong "multo" na takbo ng takbo...time was gold for them. In the time I was there, one and half months, I did everything to make things comfortable for the family....I washed the clothes, iron them, cook dinner, wash the dishes, vacuum the flat...and the most appreciated thing was....prepare merienda for my nieces when they come from school at 3 pm. Weekends were spent driving me around the places to see and looking for a house they want to buy. When the time came for me to go home, there was a lot of crying from my younger niece. She was begging me not to return anymore to Manila....My sister told her that I have a job at home and I was only on leave. She was devastated...she was really unhappy to see me go.
In 1987, the Japanese firm where my youngest brother and his wife worked, closed shop. He has a daughter and a son to feed. My sister in Australia then sent him a petition paper so he can migrate since Australia was looking for electronics engineers.When my other brother and sister learned about the petition, they too wanted to apply. So, their papers were processed and in 1988, they were all approved and set to go. This made my mother very unhappy and devastated. She couldn't understand why my sister and elder brother also wanted to migrate. She understood why my youngest brother had to leave but for the other two, she just couldn't take it. You see, my elder brother and his wife worked with Citibank and they lived very well, with their own house in BF Homes Paranaque, they can buy what they like, travel etc. While my other sister worked with Union Bank and then at Banco de Oro as an officer and her husband at Prudential Bank as Branch Accountant. They too have their own house, own a new car and children studying in exclusive schools. They weren't poor if that would be the standard. I knew my mother was always crying because everytime my family was there on weekends,(I live in my own house in SunValley) she kept complaining why they had to go. The first to go was my elder brother and his wife, that was February 1988, then next was my youngest brother, around August 1988 and the last my sister's family in September 1988. Everyone was gone by then....my parents now live as lonely as can be in their own house in Pateros....
In 1989, my mother got sick, she had cancer of the breast and had to be operated on. After my siblings were gone, she was very depressed. I did what I could do to lessen the depression... we fetch my parents in Pateros and brought them to malls, eat dinner, and then bring them back to Pateros. But the pain was really great because their departure also meant no children playing, no children to fetch from school after classes, no children to cook for, no children to pamper, etc. My nephews and nieces all stayed in pateros after school to wait for their parents to come home and then go home to their house in Taguig.The sudden change had made my mother suddenly idle that gave her more time to be depressed. AFter the operation in 1989 and after recuperating, my siblings prepared everything so my parents can join them in Australia. Late December 1989, my parents went to Australia. The plan was for them to stay for 6 months and then decide if they want to stay there. AFter only 3 months, my mother wanted to go home to Pateros. In March 1990, they were back home.
So back to being sad and lonely, even knowing that they were all doing fine in Australia, my mother continued worrying about them. Third week of May 1991, I was fetched by my cousins who lived next door to my parents and told me that my mother was very ill. We had no phones yet in Sunvalley then (It was connected late in 1991). So I took my mother to Medical City Hospital in Pasig. She stayed there for almost a month while I watched over her day in and day out. I didn't get to see my family for all those time, my husband just bringing me fresh clothes and food everyday and then coming for my dirty clothes in the afternoon from office. On June 15, 1991 (Pinatubo eruption) my mother died. It was a very difficult time for me because I was all alone to take care of everything...and to think of my father left alone in Pateros by himself. I was really very thankful to my cousins there who took care of him during those times.
I really wish that our country is able to provide things that we all need, just even the necessities in living a modest life so that Filipinos will be happy living in this land. I love the Philippines that's why I stayed behind. It is not that my siblings didn't love this country, but their desire to be having a better life for their children is stronger than patriotism. I am not blaming that the migration of my siblings caused my mother's death but it has certainly contributed to her early death. NOw, the wounds inflicted have healed. I miss my siblings and their families. I always wish they can come home and stay with me every year. I am just thankful that their decision to leave this country worked for them. But what about those who didn't do good but suffered more misfortunes? Certainly, scars are there...emotional scars will be there forever.
Like many Filipinos seeking greener pastures, all of my siblings, 2 brothers and 2 sisters migrated to Australia. The first to migrate in 1977 was my eldest sister who worked with Bank of America that time while her husband worked as a programmer at Meralco. They lived comfortably well in their own house with their two daughters studying at St. Pauls College, Pasig. But martial law came and Meralco was under the Marcos family. My brother in law and his officemates were disappointed and unhappy...almost all of the programmers migrated either to Canada or Australia. With all the qualifications met, my sister and brother in law migrated to Australia in January 1977. My aunt (the sister of my father) who was an elementary school principal was very concerned about my sister because my sister was her favorite niece. Even in her death bed, she was thinking of her and her children. She died (1978)happy becasue she said before her last breath, she was able to see my sister and her family in Australia and they were all fine.
My parents were not very worried about my sister's family because that time, programmers were really much in demand. I was still single then so I decided to go and visit my sister in Australia. From last week of June to August 16, 1980, I had tasted the life of a migrant family. In the morning, they all grabbed a little breakfast and head on to office and school. The children have their own keys to the flat (they have no house yet that time). At around 3 pm, the children were already home from school. My eldest niece will cook the rice for dinner, wash her winter uniform and her sister's uniform because wool shrinks if washed in the washing machine so that the uniform will be dry for next week. They would watch tv until their parents arrive at around 6 or 7 in the evening. Saturday mornings were for marketing and groceries and the afternoon, for cooking the entire "ulam" for the week. If there was no time for cooking, it meant buying the food from the chinese store or ordering from a Filipino who delivered the food. "Para silang hinahabol ng kung anong "multo" na takbo ng takbo...time was gold for them. In the time I was there, one and half months, I did everything to make things comfortable for the family....I washed the clothes, iron them, cook dinner, wash the dishes, vacuum the flat...and the most appreciated thing was....prepare merienda for my nieces when they come from school at 3 pm. Weekends were spent driving me around the places to see and looking for a house they want to buy. When the time came for me to go home, there was a lot of crying from my younger niece. She was begging me not to return anymore to Manila....My sister told her that I have a job at home and I was only on leave. She was devastated...she was really unhappy to see me go.
In 1987, the Japanese firm where my youngest brother and his wife worked, closed shop. He has a daughter and a son to feed. My sister in Australia then sent him a petition paper so he can migrate since Australia was looking for electronics engineers.When my other brother and sister learned about the petition, they too wanted to apply. So, their papers were processed and in 1988, they were all approved and set to go. This made my mother very unhappy and devastated. She couldn't understand why my sister and elder brother also wanted to migrate. She understood why my youngest brother had to leave but for the other two, she just couldn't take it. You see, my elder brother and his wife worked with Citibank and they lived very well, with their own house in BF Homes Paranaque, they can buy what they like, travel etc. While my other sister worked with Union Bank and then at Banco de Oro as an officer and her husband at Prudential Bank as Branch Accountant. They too have their own house, own a new car and children studying in exclusive schools. They weren't poor if that would be the standard. I knew my mother was always crying because everytime my family was there on weekends,(I live in my own house in SunValley) she kept complaining why they had to go. The first to go was my elder brother and his wife, that was February 1988, then next was my youngest brother, around August 1988 and the last my sister's family in September 1988. Everyone was gone by then....my parents now live as lonely as can be in their own house in Pateros....
In 1989, my mother got sick, she had cancer of the breast and had to be operated on. After my siblings were gone, she was very depressed. I did what I could do to lessen the depression... we fetch my parents in Pateros and brought them to malls, eat dinner, and then bring them back to Pateros. But the pain was really great because their departure also meant no children playing, no children to fetch from school after classes, no children to cook for, no children to pamper, etc. My nephews and nieces all stayed in pateros after school to wait for their parents to come home and then go home to their house in Taguig.The sudden change had made my mother suddenly idle that gave her more time to be depressed. AFter the operation in 1989 and after recuperating, my siblings prepared everything so my parents can join them in Australia. Late December 1989, my parents went to Australia. The plan was for them to stay for 6 months and then decide if they want to stay there. AFter only 3 months, my mother wanted to go home to Pateros. In March 1990, they were back home.
So back to being sad and lonely, even knowing that they were all doing fine in Australia, my mother continued worrying about them. Third week of May 1991, I was fetched by my cousins who lived next door to my parents and told me that my mother was very ill. We had no phones yet in Sunvalley then (It was connected late in 1991). So I took my mother to Medical City Hospital in Pasig. She stayed there for almost a month while I watched over her day in and day out. I didn't get to see my family for all those time, my husband just bringing me fresh clothes and food everyday and then coming for my dirty clothes in the afternoon from office. On June 15, 1991 (Pinatubo eruption) my mother died. It was a very difficult time for me because I was all alone to take care of everything...and to think of my father left alone in Pateros by himself. I was really very thankful to my cousins there who took care of him during those times.
I really wish that our country is able to provide things that we all need, just even the necessities in living a modest life so that Filipinos will be happy living in this land. I love the Philippines that's why I stayed behind. It is not that my siblings didn't love this country, but their desire to be having a better life for their children is stronger than patriotism. I am not blaming that the migration of my siblings caused my mother's death but it has certainly contributed to her early death. NOw, the wounds inflicted have healed. I miss my siblings and their families. I always wish they can come home and stay with me every year. I am just thankful that their decision to leave this country worked for them. But what about those who didn't do good but suffered more misfortunes? Certainly, scars are there...emotional scars will be there forever.
Friday, December 14, 2007
It Is Right to Teach Spanish Again to Filipino Students
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently visited Spain and I am proud of her for speaking Spanish very fluently. In a news article the other day, it says that there is a proposal to include again Spanish as part of the college curriculum. If I were to be asked, I would say that Spanish should also be part of the high school curriculum. Knowing how to speak Spanish has advantages specially if you like to travel a lot.
I first learned Spanish when I was in third year high school as an elective and again in fourth year high. It was fun learning the language. I remember our teacher, Senora Cruz very well because she was so patient with us. We learned how to conjugate and then later on, we were given assignments to write short essays in Spanish. She also made us read news reports in Spanish. There was a newspaper in Spanish and we were to buy that newspaper and report to class the news. It was scary at first, but she made the exercise everyweek that we got used to it and enjoyed it. It was fun because we were just learners and we commit mistakes that she always corrected with the class laughing out loud because the mistakes (usually in the pronounciation) were really funny. These two years had helped a lot when I entered the University of Santo Tomas. WE had four semesters of Spanish, from first year to second year college. The method of teaching was very much like that of Senora Cruz's. However, it was harder and more comprehensive than in high school. I attended the class three times a week for two years. The complete Spanish grammar was taken up. Later on, we were also given assignments to write essays and memorize poems in Spanish. I can still recite some portions of Jose Rizal's "Me Ultimo Adios". Everyone of us had to recite that poem from memory as part of the final exams for the semester. There were other poems that we had to memorize, one was "Mi Choza de Nipa". Every meeting, we would start the class by reciting the Spanish version of the "Our Father". We were also taught the Spanish version of our National Anthem and sing it in class as part of the final exams.....It was really hard but fun. At the end of the four semesters, I can at least read and understand Spanish and speak a little.
However, it was almost thirty years that I have finished college and I didn't speak the language everyday. I have almost forgotten how to write or speak the language. But I can still review and go back to re-learn it. My children didn't have any lessons in Spanish in high school or in college, that's why they couldn't understand some of the words in Spanish that I used in everyday lingo. In counting, I use uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, etc and if it goes beyond diez, they couldn't understand it anymore. Unlike French that was taught to my daughter at Assumption, Spanish is much easier to pronounce and more widely used than French.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that our educators will finalize the inclusion of Spanish in our children's curriculum. It is a very good move in enhancing the capabilities of the youth enabling them to speak at least two languages fluently, that is, English and Spanish. After all, we were under Spain for hundreds of years, we might as well be proud to speak their language.
I first learned Spanish when I was in third year high school as an elective and again in fourth year high. It was fun learning the language. I remember our teacher, Senora Cruz very well because she was so patient with us. We learned how to conjugate and then later on, we were given assignments to write short essays in Spanish. She also made us read news reports in Spanish. There was a newspaper in Spanish and we were to buy that newspaper and report to class the news. It was scary at first, but she made the exercise everyweek that we got used to it and enjoyed it. It was fun because we were just learners and we commit mistakes that she always corrected with the class laughing out loud because the mistakes (usually in the pronounciation) were really funny. These two years had helped a lot when I entered the University of Santo Tomas. WE had four semesters of Spanish, from first year to second year college. The method of teaching was very much like that of Senora Cruz's. However, it was harder and more comprehensive than in high school. I attended the class three times a week for two years. The complete Spanish grammar was taken up. Later on, we were also given assignments to write essays and memorize poems in Spanish. I can still recite some portions of Jose Rizal's "Me Ultimo Adios". Everyone of us had to recite that poem from memory as part of the final exams for the semester. There were other poems that we had to memorize, one was "Mi Choza de Nipa". Every meeting, we would start the class by reciting the Spanish version of the "Our Father". We were also taught the Spanish version of our National Anthem and sing it in class as part of the final exams.....It was really hard but fun. At the end of the four semesters, I can at least read and understand Spanish and speak a little.
However, it was almost thirty years that I have finished college and I didn't speak the language everyday. I have almost forgotten how to write or speak the language. But I can still review and go back to re-learn it. My children didn't have any lessons in Spanish in high school or in college, that's why they couldn't understand some of the words in Spanish that I used in everyday lingo. In counting, I use uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, etc and if it goes beyond diez, they couldn't understand it anymore. Unlike French that was taught to my daughter at Assumption, Spanish is much easier to pronounce and more widely used than French.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that our educators will finalize the inclusion of Spanish in our children's curriculum. It is a very good move in enhancing the capabilities of the youth enabling them to speak at least two languages fluently, that is, English and Spanish. After all, we were under Spain for hundreds of years, we might as well be proud to speak their language.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Another 'KAKASA KA BA SA GRADE V?"
Last Saturday, I missed the show. We came home late for our Christmas shopping, almost 9 pm which is way past the show. Anyways, the show is the Tagalog counterpart of the USA's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"
I have again collected some interesting questions ranging from Grade I to Grade V... This time, it is not Philippine history but some questions on science. No peeping on the answers please!!
I have again collected some interesting questions ranging from Grade I to Grade V... This time, it is not Philippine history but some questions on science. No peeping on the answers please!!
- What is the study of earthquakes?
- What are rocks made of?
- ______ is water vapor which turns to crystals of ice at low temperatures.
- A _______ is a mass of ice that moves like a river, but more slowly.
- What is the largest ocean with a surface area of some 180 million sq km, an overall length of more than 16,000 km and overall breadth of about 17,000 km?
- _____ is a fertile area surrounded by desert, where the presence of water enables vegetation to grow naturally.
- What keeps the moon in place?
- Who was the first astronaut?
- How many bones are there in the human body?
- Who discovered penicillin?
If you haven't answered any of the questions above correctly, you are to shout to the whole world that you can't be smarter than a fifth grader, and at the show, you will be given a "kalabasa award". If I were the participant, I am sure that I would have the kalabasa award....
Answers
- seismology
- minerals
- snow
- glacier
- Pacific Ocean
- oasis
- Earth's gravity holds the moon in its orbit around the Earth
- Major Yuri Gagarin
- 206 bones
- Alexander Fleming
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The Joys and Tears of a Trader
December is always the time for reckoning, no matter what kind of a trader you are. It doesn't matter if you are in equities, foreign exchange, bonds, options, or other derivatives, this time of the year will give you a glimpse of how you will be rated by your superiors. If you have met the budget or even exceeded the quota, chances are there is something playing in your mind....maybe a promotion is in the offing plus a six digit performance incentive bonus. However, if you are in the group that did not meet the quota and budget, you are already teary-eyed because it means that you will be in the five digit category when it comes to the bonus area. You know that there is no chance to still meet the budget this time of the year because you are well aware that December is a thin market period where the major market players are already squared and are not open to make positions. There is a very little chance that you can get good rates since the quotes tend to be in the wider spreads.
As I look back on my almost twenty years within the four corners of a trading room, I can't help but miss those nerve wrecking years. Although the job was stressing and nerve wrecking, the years with the trading group were the best years of my life with regards to my profession. Before being a trader, I was with the Cash Management Group, also under Treasury but handling the needs of our overseas contract workers. This position is relatively a very passive and tamed one compared with being a trader. A trader must possess the ability to grasp what is happening at the moment, understand the implication, and act upon the situation that will bring the utmost advantage to the bank, that is profit.
The week starts with a round table discussion of what transpired in the market the previous week and what the group had done, how much profit was made, errors made, problems encountered, etc. and then talk about the possible strategy for the week. Then, each trader is responsible for reading the news specially those that are relevant to the currencies he/she is handling and make a calendar of events that need to be monitored. A trader then looks at the charts and all the indicators ( aside from all the fundamentals needed) that will help him guide his trades. He may be guided by the RSI, MACD or other stochastics at hand. He maybe a strong fan of the Dow Theory or the Elliot Wave, but no matter what he likes, he should be able to use the tools to maximize his profit. A good trader keeps tracks of all his trades because this will help him in his succeeding trades with regards to the strategies as well as errors committed. In our group, early mornings are spent printing news as well as the charts for our respective currencies. With one eye on the screens monitoring the movements, there is the other eye for analyzing the charts. We were all like architects with rulers and mechanical pencils making all sorts of drawings on the charts as well as calculations..... from these we can make out the possible moves of the market. There might be a triangle break-out, a flag formation, a double bottom, a double top, or just trend lines.
As the trading day moves on, a dealer then prepares his Trading Plan for his respective currency/currencies. The trade might be an intra-day, a medium term or long term. He states his intended amount (must be within the bank's set limit for his rank), his entry and exit level and other pertinent details. When executed, he submits this Trade Plan to his/her boss together with the supporting charts and fundamentals for approval. In those days, it is a mortal sin to lose to our Big Boss. If I lost in my position in the night, I already know what she would say... "Haayy...why......bawiin mo yan!" And of course my reply is always....."Yes ma'am!"
As we watch the markets move, the traders are gathered in the round table infront of the big Reuters screens, sipping our coffee from the big coffee mugs. We need coffee to stay awake. When the market is quiet, we tell jokes, laugh out loud and relax. However, when news breaks come out that are affecting the markets, we are like crazy animals running to the dealing screens to either close our positions, open new positions, take profits or cut-loss. What a chaotic place the trading room is when these occasions come.
To be able to watch the markets closely, each of us has a beeper that constantly gives the market movements in the major markets. If Allan Greenspan would be making an announcement in the USA, we are all watching for the time and stay in the office until the wee hours of the morning...Sometimes, a night trader would be the one to wait for the event and executes our orders for trade. If no night trader is available, we can call our counterparty in Hongkong, Singapore, London, or New York via toll free lines to give out our orders. It took me more than a year to normalize my sleeping patterns after I retired from trading. I got used to being awake from 10 to 2 a.m. until NY close and then wake up at 5 am so I can get to the office before Tokyo opens at 7:30 a.m. our time.
There are also joys in being a trader. It is exhilarating when you are able to hit the top of the market movement and make a huge profit. It is a nice feeling especially if you are able to read the market correctly and made the proper moves. However, it is depressing when you lose a trade even if you were able to cut your losses early. OUr group is already happy when our batting average is 70/30. This means that our winnings are almost 70% and our losses are at 30%. It is a very pretty statistics. The other down side is on the traders' personal relationships. Hahahahahaha....One of my traders promised his girlfriend to pick her up for a date at 5:30 and then, when he was about to go to the car parking lot, the market moved because of a major news abroad. It was his currency being affected....so he had to stay a bit in the office and see what would happen. Of course, he just left orders for his position, but the girlfriend was already very angry....Hahahahaha.....
The other bonus you get from being a trader is that promotion is almost within your reach if you always deliver. In times that there are holidays abroad like NY holidays, we can go out and stay out for lunch for hours, going back to the office at around 3 in the afternoon and then sit in the round table to sip coffee. There is however one common ailment traders have......ulcers, ulcers, and more ulcers.........not only from the fact that you are stressed but you cannot leave the trading room especially if the market is going crazy and it is even past your lunchtime.
AAhhhhhhh....such a life!!! No matter what I got from trading.....in my case, a severe case of double pneumonia.... I still love trading. Until now, after all those years of being away from the Reuters screens, I still have the Bloomberg TV and the Yahoo finance to monitor the market movements. To all those TRADERS, keep up the good work but always remember: PRAY, PRAY, PRAY FOR GUIDANCE!!! Only HE can support and sustain you!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!! MERYY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Sana all of you are within budget.
As I look back on my almost twenty years within the four corners of a trading room, I can't help but miss those nerve wrecking years. Although the job was stressing and nerve wrecking, the years with the trading group were the best years of my life with regards to my profession. Before being a trader, I was with the Cash Management Group, also under Treasury but handling the needs of our overseas contract workers. This position is relatively a very passive and tamed one compared with being a trader. A trader must possess the ability to grasp what is happening at the moment, understand the implication, and act upon the situation that will bring the utmost advantage to the bank, that is profit.
The week starts with a round table discussion of what transpired in the market the previous week and what the group had done, how much profit was made, errors made, problems encountered, etc. and then talk about the possible strategy for the week. Then, each trader is responsible for reading the news specially those that are relevant to the currencies he/she is handling and make a calendar of events that need to be monitored. A trader then looks at the charts and all the indicators ( aside from all the fundamentals needed) that will help him guide his trades. He may be guided by the RSI, MACD or other stochastics at hand. He maybe a strong fan of the Dow Theory or the Elliot Wave, but no matter what he likes, he should be able to use the tools to maximize his profit. A good trader keeps tracks of all his trades because this will help him in his succeeding trades with regards to the strategies as well as errors committed. In our group, early mornings are spent printing news as well as the charts for our respective currencies. With one eye on the screens monitoring the movements, there is the other eye for analyzing the charts. We were all like architects with rulers and mechanical pencils making all sorts of drawings on the charts as well as calculations..... from these we can make out the possible moves of the market. There might be a triangle break-out, a flag formation, a double bottom, a double top, or just trend lines.
As the trading day moves on, a dealer then prepares his Trading Plan for his respective currency/currencies. The trade might be an intra-day, a medium term or long term. He states his intended amount (must be within the bank's set limit for his rank), his entry and exit level and other pertinent details. When executed, he submits this Trade Plan to his/her boss together with the supporting charts and fundamentals for approval. In those days, it is a mortal sin to lose to our Big Boss. If I lost in my position in the night, I already know what she would say... "Haayy...why......bawiin mo yan!" And of course my reply is always....."Yes ma'am!"
As we watch the markets move, the traders are gathered in the round table infront of the big Reuters screens, sipping our coffee from the big coffee mugs. We need coffee to stay awake. When the market is quiet, we tell jokes, laugh out loud and relax. However, when news breaks come out that are affecting the markets, we are like crazy animals running to the dealing screens to either close our positions, open new positions, take profits or cut-loss. What a chaotic place the trading room is when these occasions come.
To be able to watch the markets closely, each of us has a beeper that constantly gives the market movements in the major markets. If Allan Greenspan would be making an announcement in the USA, we are all watching for the time and stay in the office until the wee hours of the morning...Sometimes, a night trader would be the one to wait for the event and executes our orders for trade. If no night trader is available, we can call our counterparty in Hongkong, Singapore, London, or New York via toll free lines to give out our orders. It took me more than a year to normalize my sleeping patterns after I retired from trading. I got used to being awake from 10 to 2 a.m. until NY close and then wake up at 5 am so I can get to the office before Tokyo opens at 7:30 a.m. our time.
There are also joys in being a trader. It is exhilarating when you are able to hit the top of the market movement and make a huge profit. It is a nice feeling especially if you are able to read the market correctly and made the proper moves. However, it is depressing when you lose a trade even if you were able to cut your losses early. OUr group is already happy when our batting average is 70/30. This means that our winnings are almost 70% and our losses are at 30%. It is a very pretty statistics. The other down side is on the traders' personal relationships. Hahahahahaha....One of my traders promised his girlfriend to pick her up for a date at 5:30 and then, when he was about to go to the car parking lot, the market moved because of a major news abroad. It was his currency being affected....so he had to stay a bit in the office and see what would happen. Of course, he just left orders for his position, but the girlfriend was already very angry....Hahahahaha.....
The other bonus you get from being a trader is that promotion is almost within your reach if you always deliver. In times that there are holidays abroad like NY holidays, we can go out and stay out for lunch for hours, going back to the office at around 3 in the afternoon and then sit in the round table to sip coffee. There is however one common ailment traders have......ulcers, ulcers, and more ulcers.........not only from the fact that you are stressed but you cannot leave the trading room especially if the market is going crazy and it is even past your lunchtime.
AAhhhhhhh....such a life!!! No matter what I got from trading.....in my case, a severe case of double pneumonia.... I still love trading. Until now, after all those years of being away from the Reuters screens, I still have the Bloomberg TV and the Yahoo finance to monitor the market movements. To all those TRADERS, keep up the good work but always remember: PRAY, PRAY, PRAY FOR GUIDANCE!!! Only HE can support and sustain you!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!! MERYY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Sana all of you are within budget.
Kakasa ka ba sa Grade V?
I have watched some episodes of Channel 7 with Janno Gibbs as host in the program "Kakasa ka ba sa Grade V?" ( Saturday evening) and I was really disappointed with myself because most of the time, I cannot answer the questions Janno read.... I might have Alzeimers already....So, it is time to refresh and go back the time tunnel........go back to the time that I was only eleven years old and in Grade V. I went through the books in our small library and found a General Information Book. I will post some questions and see if you can also answer them. I just have to give the questions in ENglish unlike the show that is all in Tagalog.
Philippine History
- The first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines was _____________.
- The Supreme Court of the Philippines during the Spanish time is the ___________.
- The only ship, out of the five ships, that sailed from Spain and was able to return was___________.
- The trial of the outgoing Governor General for the abuses he had done during his administration by the incoming Governor General was called __________.
- It was a tract of land, together with its people, given to the deserving sons of Spain for the services that they had rendered to the crown_____________.
I will post some more next time.
Answers:
- Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
- Royal Audiencia
- Victoria
- Residencia
- Encomienda
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