Mahogany Farm Escapade

The Mahogany Farm is a secret place in Pampanga, a retreat house in the middle of a mahogany forest.

We had a delicious buffet lunch under the shade of the trees. The tanigue we bought from Farmers' market earlier was lightly fried with butter and became an instant favorite dish. The sashimi was good but most of the guests were apparently not a fan of the Japanese dish ;-) Tatay and Nanay simply enjoyed the company of their classmates and friends.

Swimming time! After a lunch, it was swimming time. Again, thank God for the trees for protecting us against sunburn.

Tricia regainged her confidence in swimming. She explores the pool with her kickboard and sometimes releases the kickboard to practice her strokes. You really don't have to push her to learn. She learns at her own pace. It was the same case when she learned how to ride a bicycle. She asked to remove the trainer wheels after she gained confidence.

Meet Wesley. The kid is only 4 years old but he has smart wits and has a charming personality. The eyeglasses give him the adorable Harry Potter look. The kid is very lovable. I hope he grows up to be a fine gentleman.

Have you seen an Igorot house? It was brought from the Ifugao province. Beside the stairs are two carabao skulls with horns and ancient gongs. It's kinda creepy inside with the anitos.

Good times!

Farmers' Market

While the rest of the city sleeps, I am already walking the busy pasillos of Farmers' Market in Cubao. I find much enjoyment in mornings like these. Parking is not a problem. People seem less grumpy. I get a laugh watching my wife haggle prices. I don't mind being the kargador.

You don't have to spend a fortune to feast on seafood. Today's prices of our favorites are:
Tuna Sashimi P220 per kilo
Spanish Mackerel Tanigue 220 per kilo
Fresh Shrimp Swahe 500 per kilo

Team Building Workshop 2007

The TSPI Team Building Workshop was conducted last Saturday, April 28, at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Tagaytay City. The seminar was facilitated by the guys from Center for Industrial Competitiveness of the Department of Trade and Industry (D.T.I.).

The participants were divided into four teams. We engaged in several structural activities to improve self-awareness and team dynamics.

1. Self Portrait. Everyone is asked to draw a picture of an thing that represents him. I chose a RAT for several reasons. First, I was born in 1972, the year of the RAT. Second, one of my favorite books is "Who Moved My Cheese". The image of the rat just stuck me. Perhaps I am anticipating a change in this phase of my life ;-)



2. Mini-Basketball. Participants in each team is given a number. A ball is passed around depending on the number given by the facilitator. When the facilitator says "Shoot the ball", well, you shoot the ball . The first group to shoot a ball gains a point.

3. Midnight Express. Blindfolded and speechless, we carry our team leader across a path. The fastest team gains a point.

4. Refill Station. Several cups must be filled with water from a bucket. The water is passed between participants through cups above the our heads. The first team to fill the cups win.

5. Ultimate Challenge. All 32 participants must occupy a small area enclosed with strings. We enter the area one-by-one. After everyone is in, we leave the area one-by-one. We do this without touching the strings.

Good times! It is always nice to get to know and to be closer with people from work. I takes some effort not to hog 'air time' during processing. I already participated in a number of similar activities. This time, I think the learning processing should be focused on new members. It is also nice to observe the improvement of teamwork of my team. Compared to last year, the camaraderie and rapport is stronger.

My only disappointment was the low participation of other teams especially newly formed units. They are the ones who could have benefited more from the activity. There should have been more persuasion and encouragement for officers and for new team members to join.

How do you get people to willingly sacrifice a weekend for this activity? First, it must be explained the the activity is personally beneficial. It will ultimately improve teamwork and make the office a better workplace. Second, there should be 'strong' persuasion and encouragement from top management. We must identify active participants. They could help encourage others to join. We must identify people with aversion to management seminars and promote the benefits of participation to them.

Japan Visa Blues

During my previous business trip in Japan, I 'unintentionally' overstayed and violated the terms of the visa duration. I found out after 60 days in Japan that I was allowed only to stay for 30 days. Stupid, I know.

As a penalty, I was banned from entering Japan for one year. After a year and half, the penalty has finally elapsed and I have a chance to visit Japan again.

Last Monday, I applied for a new business trip visa. Unfortunately, the Japanese government has a long memory and is apparently not very forgiving. Although the penalty has elapsed, the consulate required my guarantor to submit a letter of explanation for my previous violation.

Preparing the document is no big deal. Its having to wait through the long lines again that is so exhausting. I noticed that the consulate combined the processing lanes for business and for partner/spouse categories. As a result, it takes a longer time to process business visas. Japan has restricted entertainment visas but I was surprised by the volume of people trying to get a visa. I never seen the embassy so packed. The whole room was full and not enough for the crowd that the consulate added another line beside the building. Imagine yourself falling in line for an hour underneath the scorching sun.

I will be back again to finally get the visa. Hopefully, everything will proceed smoothly. I expect to get interrogated again by immigration authorities when I land in Japan. Like I said, the bureaucrats have a long memory.

From the embassy, Mr. Warikai and I had lunch at Kikufuji located along Pasong Tamo near Makati Cinema Square. It was my first time to visit the place. I recommend it to everyone who craves for authentic Japanese cuisine. Apparently, the place is a popular spot for Japanese expatriates and is also gaining a lot of local customers. I can't wait to go back and try other items in their menu.

PSIA Night With Mareng Winnie

"The problem with political jokes is they get elected."
Henry Cate, VII

Prof. Solita "Mareng Winnie" Monsod was the guest speaker at PSIA General Assembly last night held at Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Makati City. She discussed the status of the economy and shared her views on the political situation.

Using economic indicators, she explained that the economy actually performed better during the Arroyo presidency compared with the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada presidency. She stressed a similar point in her recent Inquirer article.

She accurately pointed the negative forces that contribute to chaos and to turmoil in our political atmosphere.
1. Power Grabbers. She slammed the Military Adventurists, Civil Society (those advocating a ruling council) and Congress (those forcing Chc-Cha). I agree that an unpopular change in power structure would only further hurt the economy.
2. Power Abusers. Arroyo, Gonzales, the other Gonzales, Abalos, Puno, etc.
3. Political Dynasty. Before, members of the same family run for different position. Now, members of the same family run for the same position. Shameless!
4. Balimbings or Turncoats.

She is unimpressed with Chiz and Alan Peter. She hates Leon Guerrero's guts and will vote for JoJo (kahit daw siya nasusuka). She called LTSG. T a coward. She will still vote for Edong because of his impressive performance as senator. Surprisingly, she will also vote for TAO a.k.a. "Dancing Queen" because of her passed bills. She will vote straight KAPATIRAN because of their platform-based campaign.

The last time I voted, I wrote Jovito Salonga on the ballot (Years ago, the issue against him was his age. Now, at age 87, he still kicks ass. Along with Quezon and Magsaysay, he could have been one of the greatest presidents we had.) The following election, my name was missing in the voting list. Later on, I honestly lost motivation to register again. Perhaps I would once again enthusiastically practice my suffrage right when we finally have automated voting and counting.

Seriously, do you think that after the elections we could finally achieve political stability and get our act together as people? This is what my crystal ball tells me. In the end, the administration will manage to capture engough seats to retain control of Congress. Consequently, future impeachment initiatives will never prosper. Regardless of the election result (12-0/6-6/0-12), the Senate will continue to be perceived as inutile. The best legacy the next Senate could give is to prevent Cha-Cha in its present form into becoming a law. Despite what the survey says, Chavit will win a Senate slot. Arroyo will rule until 2010. The status quo will remain.

Julia Campbell R.I.P.

“After several years as a journalist and a teacher in New York, I wanted more out of life, something a bit more meaningful. Having a good job – something I admit Americans take for granted – wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted to give something back to the world that had treated me so well.”

Julia Campbell

Julia Campbell, a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, disappeared while on a mountain hike at the Banawe Rice Terraces. She was reported missing for several days until her body was found in a shallow grave on Easter Sunday. Her foot was found protruding on the ground.

Julia's death is a national shame. A woman who dedicated her life to peace does not deserve a violent death especially in the hands of the person she was trying to help. Soon, sympathies and apologies from the Filipino people began to surface in the media and blogosphere. People are coming forward to give testimonies to Julia's kindness and generosity. Julia represents a beacon of idealism in a cynical and materialistic world.

For us who have not known Julia, we are fortunate that she wrote about her exploits in the Philippines in her blog aptly titled "Julia in the Philippines".

She talked about her friendships, triumphs and fulfillment as a volunteer. She ranted about her frustrations and disappointments. Interestingly, she has accurate insights on the Filipino.

On Filipino time she said, “I'd like to say this situation is unusual...but I have encountered this issue many times over. Many Filipinos live on what they laughingly refer to as "Filipino time." (Important meetings always start half-hour to one hour late!) Unfortunately, I think it is the very reason they are falling behind the rest of the world...they are living in a different time zone, operating on a different frequency. I find little interest in planning, preparing, setting and making deadlines. Perhaps this is the glaring clash of American and Filipino cultures...but I really think it is holding people back here. But I also wonder how much people here really want to move ahead. Maybe they don't and we are trying to push them into a world they don't want to participate in. It's hard to tell from my prospective sometimes.”

On Poverty she noticed, “It was great to be back in a city. I miss New York sooooooo much! And while Manila is no New York City, the smells and sounds reminded me a bit of home. Like the rest of the Philippines, Manila is a city of great potential but lacking in so much. On one hand, I got a glimpse of how the rich live in Makati City, a wealthy section of town. We visited the complex of mega luxury malls there -- stores which I can no longer afford! And all the expensive restaurants and wine bars. I stared through the windows in envy. Again, I can no longer afford such luxuries! Then just blocks away, there are shanty towns again. This country is like that, stark contrasts everywhere you turn around.”

She once ranted, “I have also been thinking lately about how it feels to be different. One of the things I don't like here is how much I get hassled just because of the color of my skin. How often a taxi or tricycle driver will try to cheat me just because they see my skin color and automatically think I can afford to pay more. The more I settle in here and try to make the Philippines my temporary home, the more it grates on me. The Philippines is not a diverse country. It's just not. And in brown skin countries, whiteness is always equated to richness. I understand it, but it's not always easy to be the recipient of this mentality. I have a new strategy. Instead of acknowledging people who treat me this way, I ignore them altogether. Maybe they will get the point?”

We can learn a lot from Julia.

Thank you Julia!

Scattered Dots

Ing e byasang malikid keng kayang ibatan, e ya makaratang keng kayang pupuntan. (He who does not look back at his past will not reach his destination.)
Philippine Proverb

Without introspection, events in our lives are like scattered dots. They seem meaningless and random. Looking backward, we connect the dots to draw a picture of what we have become. Looking forward, we envision new dots to create a sketch of what we intend to be.