numbed

China - Disaster - Earthquake in Sichuan Province - Aftermath
A woman cries by the coffin of a relative killed in the earthquake in Pengzhou. The official death toll from the quake is now 14,866 and at least 18,600 are still buried in rubbles across counties.

China - Disaster - Earthquake in Sichuan province

Firemen pull out a buried student from the building ruins, at Beichuan County, about 160 kilometers northeast of the epicenter, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Rescuers consisting of firemen, armed police, PLA soldiers and medical staffers were searching frantically for survivors in the rubble. At least 1,000 students and teachers were buried when the school in the county collapsed in the quake, and rows of apartment blocks in the town collapsed.

Myanmar - Disaster - Tropical Cyclone Nargis Aftermath

A man holds his dead baby, killed in Cyclone Nargis in Bogalay, one of the hardest hit regions in Myanmar. The Nargis cyclone which hit the country claimed 22,997 lives, left 42,119 missing and 1,403 injured as other sources claim the real death toll is closer to 100,000.

Myanmar - Disaster - Tropical Cyclone Nargis
Children drink powdered milk donated locally to Myanmar Red Cross in Myanmar cyclone hit areas. More than a week after cyclone Nargis struck, hundreds of thousands are still without access to food, water and medicine, threatening a health catastrophe that could increase the death toll 15-fold, aid agencies have warned.

text and images courtesy of corbis.com

in the bleak midwinter

it was autumn this time, last year, in melbourne. but i was already preparing for winter, the final season that would usher my journey home. i was preparing to receive my family and friends who would soon drop by, to help me name these seasons, birthed long ago, in my life.

autumn. winter. a rich kinship between seasons. imprints to life. one marks the fall of leaves; an age old call about mortality, surrender and letting go. and how the remembrance of such a prayer is worth its weight in gold. the other's inner life is best expresssed in a poem written by christina rossetti (1830-1894) adapted into song by corrinne may- on finding jesus amid the fall of winter's snow....i noticed the cars that whizzed by as she sang. it must have been chilly outside. the movements. the throng. the certain loneliness one feels when intermitten crowds stood by the sidewalks. still, she sat inside this cafe. recalled this christmas prayer. and God annoits her simple song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC9C5kHL884&feature=related

In The Bleak Midwinter

by Corrinne May

In the bleak midwinter...

frost wind made moan,

snow had fallen, snow

on snow, snow on snow,

in the bleak midwinter,

long ago.

wo

two words

lea salonga-

one of my favourite singers whose voice has graced the theme songs of major broadway musicals like les miserables & miss saigon...a touching and delightful clip of her wedding mass.

look what happened to the groom...and

look what she did...

when it was her turn to say her vows...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oMeYrmAem8

Two Words

In a while, in a word,
Every moment now returns.
For a while, seen or heard,
How each memory softly burns.
Facing you who brings me new tomorrows,
I thank God for yesterdays,
How they led me to this very hour,
How they led me to this place...

Every touch, every smile,
You have given me in care.
Keep in heart, always I'll,
Now be treasuring everywhere.
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I hold each moment true?
No trace of sadness,
Always with gladness...
'I DO...'

(instrumental)

Now a song that speaks of now and ever,
Beckons me to someone new,
Unexpected, unexplored, unseen,
Filled with promise coming through.
In a while, in a word,
You and I forever change,
Love so clear, never blurred,
Has me feeling wondrous, strange,
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I face each moment true?
No trace of sadness, always with gladness,
'I DO...'

Never with sadness...
Always with gladness...
'I...DO....'
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live, learn, dream...8 years in the making.

dedicated to pioneers of days past and present...
a draft of video clip prepared for college day may 2008

batches 2000-2007 ( i think...)...and going...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S42mdBuprMg

many ought to recall some of your college mates in this moving clip...the lives led, the stories shared and a life in the making...

there is something about the vernacular & unassuming voice adopted by every speaker in this clip...i was drawn and eventually moved by the humility shown...as if they never expected to go that far on their own, and succeeded doing so...in spite of the branding and false consciousness that inflicts much of our educational psyche here especially among students in different jcs.

the diverse journeys they took underscored the worth and inherent dignity every school struggles to impart on the life of each student. the fact that some do succeed in life is worth celebrating...to recognise that success need not be solely defined by paper qualifications alone is another truth worth protecting...

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recognition

Carl Jung once said how much he admired Christians because they saw Christ in the poor, in those who are hungry, naked, in hospitals and in prisons, and in those who are strangers.

But what he could not understand was that they could not see Christ in their own poverty.

Jean Vanier

poem. one

News comes that a friend of far away
is dying now

I look up and see small flowers appearing

in spring grass outside the window

and can't remember their name

'james' by w.s. merwin

animal anthropology

a delightful account that messes up (i always enjoy doing that in the gp classroom...) our perceived cognition / understanding about what constitutes animal 'instincts' toward predator-prey relationships as well as 'parenting' , 'foster-care' and 'motherhood' located within the animal kingdom

.......................................................................................................

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born premature ly and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth. The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops?

Take a closer look...you won't believe your eyes!!

Now, please tell me one more time...

Why can't the rest of the world get along?

----------------with deep thanks to shari for the story-------------

the wooden bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. '

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Guilt and tears streamed quietly down their cheeks.

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
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On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..'

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

pivotal passages

A relationship travelling only on the stream of remarkable experiences never reaches the stable shores of faithful love. Without the dreadful night of suffering from absence, faithful friendship remains an unknown land. We have to miss a certain friend badly a few times before we can discover who this friend really is.

* * * * * *

What I am really looking for, the person of my beloved with his or her feelings, longings and uniqueness, or my experience of the beloved? Am I looking for my spouse or am I looking for an erotic sensation? Am I looking for God, or am I seeking purely my devotion, a key spiritual rest or my psychological well-being? Am I seeking the other, or am I seeking my experience? If the latter is true, I may indeed speak of love, but what I am looking for is myself.

herwig arts sj : With Your Whole Soul: the Christian Experience of God

and i stopped expecting

and i stopped expecting for more, saw you as a God who couldn't give something you didn't quite believe in. the good times you blessed have made these needful hours disappear from my life.

i now come home, living, making up for lost time.

living by these margins, divided within the lines of faith,

the writing can barely sense the depth of a distant face

second life

a friend plans to leave her workplace for elsewhere. single, she is also keen to settle in another place, this time, within a new home to call her own. a note / sms forwarded, shared with someone known. it was no mere text message but a deep summon toward embracing the wider contour of life. my friend, you must go on as you have planned and i do support you! you are a good teacher and a valued person in your workplace. you will be missed. my question is ' would you feel the same if you were settled in your own nest with a beloved one?' we will never know. we need our own nest and be nestled with love life blossoming. a sense of completeness dawns.

we drive ourselves in want of "more" fulfilment in our lives...yet it is love and loving someone, a spouse or partner and soulmate who completes us. God created us so. Of course, i am speaking from my own story. i never planned my life to be this 'ending' - in solitude and nothingness (no family, no career, no validation). we do what we need to redefine 'the missing piece' to fill 'the hole in our soul'. i hear you as i have heard my own thoughts and driven my energy as you are driving today. my thoughts may not be as clear but i am in full support of you, my friend. Go and be confident always...

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inner secret lives

we've heard of the secret life of plants, insects and the like...

ever heard

of the secret or rather, the inner life of words?

many thanks to yvonne for the take :)

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PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the letters-

BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER: When you rearrange the letters-

MOON STARER

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters-

THEY SEE
GEORGE BUSH:

When you rearrange the letters-

HE BUGS GORE


THE MORSE CODE:

you rearrange the letters-

HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:

When you rearrange the letters-

CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:

When you rearrange the letters-

IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:

When you rearrange the letters-

LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:

When you rearrange the letters-

ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters-

I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:

THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO is

TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:

When you rearrange the letters:

WOMAN HITLER

muss, manic, mathematical mess

i was never good at math. dreaded it. despised it. cursed it. trampled on it. a pure stream of suppressed expletives marshalled against it. i couldn't see anything beyond the single-minded honour for empirical logic and the unshakeable conviction that hard sets of cold data (that lock each angle to a fit and always guarantee the right answer to everything...well...almost) and 101 equations amount to high intelligence and intellectual brilliance. back in school, i was taught that sheer persistence ensures perfect completion to every score. still, much of math still eludes me. it somehow lacks the dark and rich knowledge of anthropology, the empathic science in social work and the redemptive visions found in literary studies. those were my majors in university. i found my calling after years of aimless faltering within a sterile bureaucracy that relies too much on numbers to determine social and future reality.


i do best in subjects which help me tackle, dislodge and understand the mysteries of being human. maybe that was why i could never appreciate the full power of mathematics...simply because it did not do much to quench my thirst to touch the ultimate mysteries of one's existence and our place on planet earth. like most urbanites in many industralised countries, i live in a state where statistics are sometimes used to measure thoughts, perceptions and beliefs of people which in reality, resist any form of quantification. we refrain from cultivating our own search or experience of truth. instead, many of us may have become too used convenient sets of 'calculable' truths we work hard to fashion for ourselves.



still, i find it a miracle that my mediocre command of this subject could have taken me this far. some have gone a little further than me...their ex(curs)ions into this domain proved to be rather inspiring-

shocked?

you shouldn't be.

enough venting...

attached are some illustrious examples; moments when humour and childlike non-sense triumped over precision and logic... to think i was there before...we turn back time and discover that maybe, we were never that bad...much less alone on our futile quest to love math.

this IS the ultimate:

sport and spirituality

Thanks to Lianne for the clip...


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A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together.Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' to.For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island.Father and son went on to complete the race together.



View this



http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513




it brought mixed feelings...the potential silliness of it all, an almost laughable and near-retort of going to great lengths to fulfil a wish that may have been made in other less life-threatening ways.


that was the cynic in me speaking.


and then i think of God's own love for us. the apparent silliness of it all. an almost laughable near-retort of going to great lengths to fulfil a will that could not be completed in other ways. God sent his only son to die for us. Word made flesh. The face of Christ. receiving spittle, curses and barbs from those whose authority he gave, whose souls he made. when we return in faith, he makes the same leap of faith, promising to run the race with us till the end...


where would u see yourself and your journey with God in this clip? were u always the impaired soul who needed his lift? or does your mustard seed of faith 'help' God instead, to keep believing in the soul he has already saved...(?)

thoughts by the patio

Etymology, history, meaning-

patio
1828, "inner court open to the sky," from Sp. patio probably from O.Prov. patu, pati "untilled land, communal pasture," from L. pactum "agreement" (see pact). Another theory traces the Sp. word to L. patere "to lie open." Meaning "paved and enclosed terrace beside a building" first recorded 1941.

–noun, plural -i·os.

1.
an area, usually paved, adjoining a house and used as an area for outdoor lounging, dining, etc.

2.
a courtyard, esp. of a house, enclosed by low buildings or walls.
[Origin: 1820–30, Americanism; <>

we started with nothing. an austere space on the search for meaning. reco and i scouted the backlanes of holland v and ikea to source for furniture. even dempsey road wasn't spared. i drew energy from the council who juggled work, post-exam blues, copious amounts of sweat, communal tensions and cramped necks to get the project moving. 8th council legacy. and parts of it came framed with poetry. draped in classic hues of black and framed by infinite bands of white. there are tufts of grass, a sofa, a swing and carpet-reds that map the floor...propped with warm collection of bamboo seats…what more do you need? it lies sandwiched the academic hallways of the college...a delicious and warm fudge-mix of home-based eclecticism specially dedicated to all students and teachers. allows easy access to the staff room as well as the library. an outdoor lounge to chill or retreat whenever one needs to study, chat or simply, to dream and be. i sound like an estate agent already.

patio. another nook away from the loud deadlines and echoes that pepper our days...it stands ready to remind us that quality time and our friendships with each other go a long way to help us grow and mature as individuals. the stark walls capture the artistry of students and teachers who have inscribed their philosophies in print, defining at this point, on what it means to live a truly meaningful life.

come by the patio. and bless our lives, today.

the orphanage

http://www.theorphanagemovie.com/

now showing...

i appreciate a good film especially foreign movies which give you a different take on life, a second reading of old phenomena or should i say, facts, that others have written about- to death...this film is in spanish and it comes laced with another truth so poignant it weighs heavy on you long after you've left the cinema

it seems that even ghosts have a story...are lonely and seek familiar company...

a little gold, a little rock

between us...five doctors, two engineers, two social workers, a gym instructor, three teachers of english, music, speech and drama, a pharmacist, a homemaker, a podiatrist, an assistant professor and two children whose lives are just beginning to unfold...we met unknowingly when our paths crossed along the cold lanes we walked. one left law for community service. others came from top JCs. one just took his medical exams at oxford. another never got pass her As. some never did honours. others stopped at the Os...

but titles, entitlements, pay cheques and namesakes were never an issue with us. stepping far from the usual trappings that divide society into class and mannerisms, we dug deep for what is mortal and human, and saw the shortness of lives that came to be.

you helped me hold the Word and i saw with your eyes how a verse could cut our lives, make us witness the redemptive work of grief and loss. our stories tell of our hopes and our becoming...of women, men & children even as we pace our walk with Christ's. At Easter, we are drawn again from the blue shadows of doubt to the bright fresh gold of dawn.

that night in vivo city...i find faith in meaning what i say...i like just being with you. many may have come and gone...but you chose to stay and belong .