Friday, December 3, 2010

LOTTO


 Tumataginting na 741 milyong piso ang napanalanuhan ng isang tao sa 6/55 Grand lotto ilang araw na ang nakalilipas. At hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay hindi pa nagpapakita ang masuwerteng indibidwal upang kunin ang kanyang premyo.

Kayraming kapitbahay ang naringgan ko na kung sila lamang ang pinalad na magkamit kahit na sampung porsento lamang ng halagang iyon ay magiging masaya na sila. 

At handang-handa na sila kung anu-ano ang gagawin nila  sa papremyong ito.

Kung ikaw ang manalo ng ganoong kalaking halaga, papaano mo ito gagastusin?

Subalit bago ka pa magplano, hayaan mong ibahagi ko ang isang artikulong nabasa ko, tungkol ito sa isang mag-asawang  taga-Canada na nagkamit ng $11.3 milyon sa kanilang pagtaya sa lotto. 


Nicest Canadian couple in the world doles out lottery winnings
By Liz Goodwin – Thu Nov 4, 1:27 pm ET

A retired Canadian couple who won $11.3 million in the lottery in July have already given it (almost) all away.

"What you've never had, you never miss," 78-year-old Violet Large explained to a local reporter.
She was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer when the couple realized they'd won the jackpot in July.

"That money that we won was nothing," her tearful husband, Allen, told Patricia Brooks Arenburg of the Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald. "We have each other."

The money was a "headache," they told the paper--mainly, it brought anxiety over the prospect that "crooked people" might take advantage of them. Several people called them out of the blue to ask for money when the news first broke that they'd won the jackpot. So they began an $11 million donation spree to get rid of it and help others, the Chronicle Herald reports:

They took care of family first and then began delivering donations to the two pages' worth of groups they had decided on, including the local fire department, churches, cemeteries, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, hospitals in Truro and Halifax, where Violet underwent her cancer treatment, and organizations that fight cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes. The list goes on and on.

Violet told the Canadian Press that they retained about 2 percent of the money for a rainy day.
"It made us feel good," Violet told the Chronicle Herald. "And there's so much good being done with that money."

The Nova Scotia couple have been married more than 35 years and quietly saved up the money that Allen made as a welder and Violet made in retail before retiring.
"We haven't spent one cent on ourselves because we've been too busy getting everything looked after and with my health, I have to wait to get my health back to get the energy to do anything," Violet told the National Post. "We're not travelers anyway. We live in the country and we're proud of it. Money can't buy you health or happiness."

Now their neighborhood is abuzz over their good deeds.

"People who know them just know that's the type of people they are—they're just happy to have each other," local restaurant owner Lori Hingley told the Canadian Press.

The prize was in Canada dollars (roughly equal to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates).

*courtesy - yahoo news ( Liz Goodwin)         

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Promise Yourself

ANONG ginagawa mo kapag lugmok ka ng mga problema? Paano mo tinutulungan ang iyong sarili sa panahong ang buhay ay puno ng mga hamo't suliranin?


HINDI ko inaasahang mayroon pa pala akong kopya ng tulang nasa ibaba. Nakita ko itong muli nang ako'y nag-aayos ng aking mga gamit. 

Nabasa ko ito sa isang magasin. Dahil lubos akong napagpala sa mensahe nito ay pinagdesisyunan kong kopyahin ito. 

Makailang beses na rin akong iniligtas ng kathang ito mula sa kalungkutan, pagmumukmok, kabalisahan, pagkagalit at kawalang pag-asa. 

At nakasisiguro akong magiging pagpapala pa rin ito sa hinaharap.

Narito ang tulang tinutukoy ko:

PROMISE YOURSELF (Christian Larson)

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.


To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.


To think only the best, to work only for the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.


To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.


To give so much to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong to fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.


ANONG ginagawa mo kapag lugmok ka ng mga problema? Paano mo tinutulungan ang iyong sarili sa panahong ang buhay ay puno ng mga hamo't suliranin?  

Ako – naghahanap ng inspirasyon. Persona o bagay na makapagpapaunawa sa akin ng kagandahan ng buhay. Kagaya ng tulang ito.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Ugat

ILANG unos na kaya ang kanyang nalampasan? Ilang bagyo ang kanyang napagtagumpayan?
Ilang pagtaas ng tubig na kaya ang kanyang pinagdaanan? Makailang ulit kaya siyang nalubog sa tubig alat?
Mabuti na lamang at matindi   ang kanyang  pagkakapit sa   bitak ng isang malaking batong ito.             Mabuti na  lamang hindi siya sa buhanginan   tumubo!                          
Di ko maiwasang isiping kung saan nakaangkla ang aking buhay habang kinukunan ko itong larawan.    
Saan nga ba naka-angkla ang aking buhay?

Friday, October 22, 2010

Landmark: Hong Kong Walk of Fame


     The Avenue of Stars (星光大道) is a waterfront walkway modeled after Hollywood Walk of Fame. Located along Victoria  Bay  it offers splendid views of Hong Kong skyline. At night, it is a popular viewing place for the Symphony of Lights display (a spectacular light and laser show synchronized to music happening daily at 8pm that lasts up to 15 minutes).


  HISTORY 

In 1982, New World Group built a promenade along the waterfront around the New World Centre in East Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.  And in 2003, this company announced it would spend HK$40 million to build the Avenue of Stars, a project which was supported by  the Hong Kong government.

      The avenue was opened to the general public on April 28, 2004. Although privately-funded, it was handed over to the HK government as public property during its opening ceremony. 
   Initially, 73 media personalities where inducted, chosen by the HK Film Awards and readers of a local magazine.

FEATURES   

   A 4.5 meter-tall replica of the statuette  given to winners at the HK Film Awards greets visitors at the entrance.  Along the 440-meter promenade, history of HK’s cinema is told through inscriptions printed on nine red pillars. 

     The promenade has handprints and autographs of stars in cement (Jackie Chan's  -成龙 - star is one of the most popular!), but most of them only contain celebrities’ names as they are now deceased. 
     There are benches, souvenir shops, cinema-themed sculpture and a few alfresco coffee shops to better serve  visiting tourists and locals.

     Latest addition to the avenue is a large replica of the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch. 
     
Avenue of the Stars is created to pay tribute to outstanding professionals of the local film industry, to promote tourism, and to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s World City.

 It gives awesome views of the harbor, passing boats, skyscrapers, and the Hong Kong Island itself. 
Best time to visit? Late September to early October (when the weather is still fair).

By the way, there is no admission fee ... so next time you plan to take a trip to HK - do not hesitate to pay it a visit.



from: chinahighlights.com and wikipedia.com

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Diaspora

     May kakilala ka bang nagta-trabaho sa ibang bansa? Marahil ang isang kapitbahay, kamag-anak o dili kaya’y isang miyembro ng iyong pamilya.

Isa kong kaibigan noong kolehiyo ay nasa Switzerland, nakapangasawa siya ng isang Filipino immigrant.

Yung isa namang kaibigan noong high school  ay nasa Dubai. At mula sa kanya ay napag-alaman kong marami-rami palang schoolmate namin  ang naroroon.

Isa ko namang dating kaklase, ang buong pamilya ay nasa Amerika na. Hindi na nga niya natapos ang high school kasi noong 3rd year kami kinailangan na niyang lumipad.

Sa pamilya ng tiyahin ko (kapatid ni tatay) dalawang anak niya ay nasa Middle East samantalang  dalawang apo naman ang nasa Canada.

Pabalik nang muli ang isa kong kasamahan sa iglesya sa  Singapore, tapos na kasi ang kanyang 13-araw na bakasyon. 

At kaya pala hindi ko nakita noong linggo ang asawa ni Ate Sol ay dahil nakaalis na ito patunggong Ivory Coast.
         
     Kung isa-isahin ko ang mga taong kakilala ko sa ibang bansa, marahil magiging napakahaba ng blog na ito. 

    Ayon sa isang pag-aaral, may 8-11 milyong Overseas Filipino  Workers (OFW) ang nasa labas ng bansa. Halos sampung porsento ito ng ating kabuang populasyon.

     Noong nakaraang taon, nakapag-ambag ng $ 17.3 bilyon sa ekonomiya ng  bansa ang padala ng mga OFW (hindi pa kasama rito ang mga ipinadala sa tao at ang mga balik-bayan boxes!), iyan ay ayon sa Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

    Kahanga-hangang talaga ang kontribusyon ng mga tinaguriang bagong bayani!

     Kapuri-puri ang mga mangagawang (nagiging ambassador of goodwill) nagpapakita ng kasipagan, katigaan at kagalingan ng mga Filipino sa iba't ibang larangan sa bawat sulok ng mundo.

 Distribusyon ng OFW
United States 2,802,586
 Saudi Arabia 1,066,401
 UAE 529,114
 Canada 462,935
 Australia 270,347
 Malaysia 244,967
 United Kingdom 203,035
 Japan 202,557
 Qatar 195,558
 Singapore 156,466
 Kuwait 139,802
 Hong Kong 130,537
 Italy 120,192
 South Korea 80,715
 Taiwan 74,010
 Germany 54,336
 France 47,075
 Bahrain 44,703
 Spain 41,780
 Israel 36,880
 Austria 30,000
 Greece 29,344
 Lebanon 25,818
 Macau 23,348
 New Zealand 23,023
 Guam 22,567
 Norway 20,035
 Netherlands 19,163
 Sweden 18,435
 Ireland 16,832
 Papua New Guinea 12,932


    Subalit, may ilang bagay na kaakibat  ng exodus ng mga Pinoy.

   Gaano karaming propesyonal na doktor, nars, guro, inhenyero, at iba pang manggagawa, na dapat sana'y direktang nag-aambag ng kani-kanilang kakayahan sa pagpapaunlad ng Pilipinas ang na-iinganyo ng ibang bansa upang linangin ang kanilang populasyon?

     Ilang ina ang pikit-matang iniiwan ang sariling anak upang mag-alaga ng anak ng iba?

     Ilang ama na sa kanyang pagbabalik sa bansa ay halos estranghero ang trato ng mga anak nito sa kanya?

     Ilang Pasko, kaarawan o pagtatapos sa elementarya, high school o kolehiyo ang hindi nasaksihan ng isang tatay o nanay?

     Ilang kabiyak ang natukso dahil sa pangungulila sa kanyang minamahal na sa ibayong dagat?

     Ilang anak na lumaking walang ama o ina  ang napariwa ang buhay?
    
     Bilang isang dating OFW, masasabi kong sapat o di kaya'y higit pa sa hinihingi ng Pinas ang naitutulong namin. Nawa'y matumbasan ng ating gobyerno ang mga sakripisyo ng bawat  Filipinong piniling maakat mula sa nakagisnan patungo sa isang lupaing banyaga.


    
* distribution of OFW as of 2007 --- from wikipedia.com

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Landmark: Remnant of the Old Railway



       Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower (尖沙咀鐘樓) is officially known as the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (前九廣鐵路鐘樓).  It is the last surviving structure of the old terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui. Thanks to the petition of Heritage Society and other advocacy groups, the tower was spared from demolition when the old station was moved to the present-day Hung Hom Station in 1975.

       It stands at 44 m high (excluding the seven meter lightning rod) at the foot of Salisbury Road.

     Built out of red bricks and granite, I can’t help but be reminded of Manila City Hall Clock Tower when I first saw it.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Souvenir from China: Matryoshka - Russian Doll


Aren't they cute? I bought some for my mom and  female friends.
          Matryoshka (斯套娃) is a set of wooden dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other 

         The outer layer is a woman dressed in a Russian folk costume called sarafan while the innermost doll is typically a baby lathed from a single piece of wood, hence it cannot be opened. Traditionally the number of nested figures is five. 

    
 The name Matryoshka might have originated from the Russian first name Matryona, usually associated with a robust rustic Russian woman.  It is also known as Russian nestling doll (матрёшка) or babushka doll. 

 Vasily Zvyozdochkin  (in 1890) carved the first set which was designed by Sergey Malyutin.

 Modern artists create many new styles of nesting dolls such as portraits or caricatures of famous politicians, musicians and popular actors.     
 
Matryoshka is a  testimony of cultural exchange between Russia and China. Ironically, China, not  the former, has the world’s largest babushka doll  located in its northeastern city of Manzhouli (Inner Mongolia).  It measures 30 meters or 98.4 feet high.
 
(sources: wikipedia, goarticles.com, and russianmatryoshka.blogspot.com)

Start of the Journey

      Paglalakbay. Journey. 旅行. 

      My name is Eliezer, I am a returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and I'd like to share some of my life's journey here.
 
The journey begins. Taken when I processed my working visa!
    Souvenir from China, Reflection, Ang Pagbabalik (The Return - a novel), An Entry from my Journal, and Postcard would be some of the sections of this blog. 
  
      I hope that I'll be able to post two to three entries during normal weeks. And at least one during hectic ones.

     Enjoy!