Leaving Home or Moving Home

It's been more than three months now since I left Tagbilaran City. I miss my family and some things that I left behind. Kind of hard to imagine uprooting myself from the place I've always known as home. Although this is not the first instance I've traveled far, the feeling now is much more different.

I was a fresh high school graduate then going to start university life at UP Diliman in Quezon City when I first stepped off from home. But I was young and had much desire to be away - to explore new places and new possibilities. After graduating architecture and getting my architect's license, I practiced my profession for a while in Metro Manila. Yet, there was always this urge to come home. Needless to say, eleven years later I came back, continued my career and settled down. Probably, the best thing that ever happened to me.

Yet life is full of surprises. And it turned out that I have to leave town again to start anew - with my own family. Although plans are not definite yet, it looks like we will be stuck here for a while. And guess where? In the city that never sleeps - in New York. But now I choose to think that I haven't left home but rather moved my home to where we are today. But without a doubt, there is no place like home!

Brownout Blues

Tagbilaran City is famous for its brownouts nowadays. Thanks to its electric company. But as the old cebuano adage goes: Pildi ang maglagot!

Yet, although some people might not agree, brownouts have one advantage. These bouts of power outage happening for as long as PPUD was privatized brings old habits of story-telling, or joke times or playing famous card games (in our case "onggoyay").

So recently, out of the blue, our family gathered around the candle light and started playing card games and at the same time telling old, sometimes corny, yet funny jokes. It was kind nostalgic in a sense that memories of the old come back. But of course, these were some of the best times of my life.

Here are some of the more well-known old jokes that I can remember. It's the famous "translation" jokes. It's like an old record always jumping back, yet, somehow still effective in some ways. So here are some samples:

Q. Unsay Inintsik ug kuwang ug sinko? A. Sinkongkwang
Q. Unsay Inintsik ug auto nga nabangga? A. Lomping
Q. Unsay Inintsik ug rocking chair? A. Siyang Towangtowang
Q. Unsay Inintsik ug lata nga natumban? A. Pilong

Or some famous Japansese translations:

Q. Ano sa Hapon ang pangit? A. Kamukhamo
Q. Ano sa Hapon ang gwapo o maganda? A. Kamukhako

There are German translations, too:

Q. Unsa ang German sa 7-Up? A. Sprite
Q. Unsa ang German sa tuli? A. Slizenotten :)

And a whole bunch more...but maybe next time. Or aptly saying it: MAYBE NEXT BROWNOUT!

Well, here's a preview (kay basin makalimot hinoon ko). This is a joke delivered by the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino, the same time he was giving a speech in Boston (I think) while in exile in the US during the Philippine Martial Law time: While on one of the infamous political gatherings in Malacanang, a Japanese ambassador took the stand and gave this speech in front of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos: You Firipino peopre, you are very rucky. You got a president who roves (robs) you and a first rady who roves (robs) you more!

La Manok Island, Anda, Bohol

I met my balikbayan clients from Illinois last Monday and had a chance to talk, among other things, tourism business in Bohol. They were quite excited with new developments to date, especially on the aspect of eco-tourism.

Danao local government for one is actively promoting eco-tourism. It boasts of the longest and highest zip line in the Philippines - a heart pumping experience that really makes your visit adventure-filled. Part also of what Danao offers is its one of a kind "root climbing" attraction, where one literally climbs through dangling roots of big trees. Other attractions include mountain trail treks and cave trips including the historic site of the domicile of Dagohoy, the leader of Philippines' longest revolution against the Spaniards.

Another place which few people might have visited is an island in Anda, Bohol, called La Manok Island. This island is uninhabited but is a few minutes boat ride from the main land. Although I once had a project in Anda which my clients fondly called “Anda Uroy”, I have never heard of La Manok until recently.

Why we should be thrilled? According to James and Jinky, my clients, which actually are well-traveled, this place gives the impression of being in the prehistoric era. It is one of the few unique places they have explored ever. Because it is rarely visited, species of plants seldom or not at all seen somewhere else thrive in this place. There are areas where old wooden coffins and scattered human remains are found. The caves in the area possess spectacular rock formations and also boast of markings and other evidence that they were inhabited by ancestors of ours.

As soon as my clients would send pictures of the place, I will post it in this blog. For now, let us just imagine these wonders that nature affords us. Another reason to be proud of our home province, the Republic of Bohol! Until my next blog…

Hope This Clears My Mind

I have a crisis of good design thoughts today. I am here at my table trying to figure out how to add a feature to the building that I finished designing a year ago. Go figure, my clients and I already agreed on the previous design. Apparently, after a year of soul-searching, tadah! they realized that a feature (which, by the way, already exists but positioned on the other side of the building) should also be on the other side of the building.

It is almost a week now, and I still cannot consolidate ideas and finalize my design. But that's life being an architect, you should always give leeway for changes. Even during the construction process, designs change. So why am I complaining? I will be paid for the changes anyway - hehe, hopefully.

So for aspiring architects and new ones, brace yourself. Like any other profession, ours also has its ups and downs. We must be flexible at all times. Yes, we have our design ideas that we know are good for our clients, but they too have their own wants. We should also remember that they are the end-users. They get to live in the building, not us. As long as what they want meets with the national and local codes, go ahead and listen. But always push for the right design; explain the advantages and disadvantages especially on the things that they insist on incorporating to the whole design concept. And guys, learn to be persuasive - be creative in your approach. It helps not to antagonize a client. Trust me! Of course, dedication to your work is very important. If you love your profession you will learn that it's not hard after all.

Where were we? Ah OK...Perhaps, a little bit of scribbling will help clear my mind. Like what I heard they suggest when you are angry - cut vegetables. Of course I am not angry. Do you see a knife? Hehe.

I suppose I have doodled a lot. I think I am ready to work again. Until my next blog...Got to go. I need to work back and fast since I have to do preliminary design studies for another client. Ciao

Wish Me Luck!

I'm a first time blogger. It appears that everyone I know has or had at one point written blogs in the internet. So I am here today striking keys—hoping to put wise words together—and now, going with the flow…

It took me sometime to think of things to write—what topics to blurt. Yet, I thought that maybe somehow, I might write anything that goes under the sun—and my blog title came to be.

I admit, before, I found it amusing that people write blogs—especially reading most collection of inconsequential squeals. But the way I see it now, blogging could be an avenue of expressing my view or outlook of things that have an effect on me, my family, my friends, and the rest within the surrounding.

May my observations promote awareness and stir up one’s consciousness, and that somehow, it changes other people’s attitude of life around—be it work-related, about government, sports, religion, entertainment or as I said earlier: ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN. Wish me luck!