risks ( an excerpt )

RISKS

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing the sentimental
To reach out for another
is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd
is to risk their loss
To live is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure


But risks must be taken;
because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing
has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow
but they can not learn, feel, change, grow, live
Chained by their attitude, they are a slave
they have forfeited their freedom
Only the person who risks is free

--- anonymous

The snake who killed the bird, this and that

"Where have you been in the last 14 years?....What have you been up to?." Simple enough questions that seem to look for simple enough answers. The trouble is, where do we get the answers? How do we answer such a very profound question?

I said well I've been around. I've been here and I've been there. I was this and I was that. I've made this and created that But, I also destroyed this and shattered that.
I have bred the most wonderful of birds, the most colorful at that.
people were amazed of my feat
But unbeknownst to them, I also developed a snake whose appetite is most voracious indeed

For it does not consume only the most beautiful but the most precious of my birds in fact
It does not stop eating until it has eaten everything and he's the only one left among the lot
What then do i do to control the snake who consumed and killed?
What can one do with this powerful and unnerving plot?

I seeked for help but answers came not
I looked for escape but the paths were blocked
I fought brave and I fought hard
my sword got chipped, my armor tarnished
Helplessness and confusion set in
My spirit got dampened and so I gave up

It sits there waiting now breeding!



So what have i done really?
Nothing profound
Nothing really interestingly new
I did this and thought of that
and Nothing seemed to work though, when it comes to that

then lately, I met this wonderful thing who asked questions
so many of her questions I could not even pathom
i wanted her to come in but this i first must do
I need to rid the snakes off everything i do
To kill the snakes says she i dont know how to
but why not start making short of about a couple or two?

The last time we counted there were 3385!
I know its a long way and a hard one to bare
But to kill each and everyone of them i have got no minute to spare
So I'll start with you you foul creature
and watch me spit at and laugh when I conquer you
for I know I will have the victory that is most really true!

new beginnings.....

I have always been fickle-minded in almost everything i do. Most of my friends and family jokingly describe me as s being a "jack of all trades but a master of none".. ..this admittedly is very true. I have always thought I was in control and that all of my decisions are good but most often than not the outcome of these decisions would prove me wrong. I don't feel any regrets though knowing I'm still breathing and very much alive. I believe, anything that don't kill you can only make you stronger. I just try to be extra careful nowadays.



Being fickle-minded as I have previously pointed out definitely has chipped a lot off my shoulders over the years. One instance is about a decision I made when I was still a college student. I fell attracted to two particular women in my class. I knew they felt the same way towards me as well ... at least the attraction was mutual but God!, 2 girls? Whew! Anyway... i decided to choose between the two. Needless to say, I chose wrong and i ended up bagging neither of the two.... and offending at least one of them because of how i handled "my dilemma" Talk about twists of fate huh?



14 years and a few relationships later, I chanced upon the one "I did not choose" in cyberspace. Actually, i looked for her relentlessly until I finally located her. We started chatting and communicating. Then I made another decision... I apologized for the offense I made. I groped for words big time! I didn't know where to start or how but somehow I mustered the courage to lay my cards and present them to her. Until now she says she hasn't forgiven me for the incident. Nevertheless I invited her to come over our house to celebrate my birthday. I was really surprised she said yes. Wow! We spent the whole day chatting in person this time at catching on our life stories after college. We went out for coffee after dinner and chatted a little more. When we finally went our separate ways I decided to update my emails and there in cyberspace our paths crossed again... knowingly or not, consciously or not, it didn't matter. What mattered was we were still talking, chatting and as the exchange of info went on... I once again ended up with a decision. This time I know what I want. I'm fickle-minded no more..

green insect repellent

Bug proofing your homes can be expensive and dangerous at the same time. But fret not there are lots of ways to do this without exposing your loved ones to chemicals after all, insecticides are not the only solution. I'm talking about the green solution.

Ever thought of using plants to do the job for you? Not only they are pleasing to the eyes,they can drive away bugs as well. They can also make the surrounding feel a bit cooler by absorbing temperature- ultimately lowering your electricity consumption, making you save some more!

Consider the lowly Basil plant. I can name at least 2 varieties but any variety will do. My suggestion is, use the shorter bushy kind and plant them in a long container -something you can put on top of your window sills. This way they will be handy and easily moved in case they need additional sunlight. You will know this by the color of their leaves. You can also keep other herbs along with Basil such as Mint, Rosemary, Fennel, etc especially in your kitchen. They can be handy with your cooking and decorative at the same time. Keep as many plants as you can. Keep your herbs healthy by trimming them occasionally. Anyway, you can use the fresh leaves as well as the dried ones.

Another plant that repels bugs is Marigold. They flower therefore are more decorative. They grow very well in partial- full sunlight, they do not require too much watering therefore very easy to maintain. For the guys who prefer the more natural-looking, less formal gardens, I suggest planting Lemon Grass locally know as tanglad especially beside rocks or boulders in your garden. They not only look good, they have lots of uses as well. You can also keep them in medium to large sized planters. Aside from having bug-repellent properties, they go very well with roast chicken as well. To those who have enogh space for trees, I suggest Euchalyptus. These plants that I mentioned contain aromatic oils in their stems and leaves. These oils act as repellent to bugs especially mosquitos. The leaves can be used as incense or air fresheners especially in the case of euchalyptus.

Do you know of ther plants that can do the same things as the ones I mentioned in this blog? Please feel free to suggest so that we can all enjoy them in a green , clean world. Thanks!

Be Bold and mighty forces will come to your aid!!

I once had a friend that i did not really get to know well enough. She used to belong to the same class that i used to teach. Unfortunately, for reasons which are obviously more important than my class, she dropped out. Needless to say, I never really talked with her again until one day, some weeks ago I chanced upon her in friendster,. Actually I was looking for my ex because she blocked me out of her account ( sorry about this Kers). She being a common friend between my ex-girlfriend and I, her name popped out. So i thought what the heck, might as well click on her and so I did. I found out she is working in the same City I am currently in. I thought for a while and then decided to send her a message..... an invite.

After a few days, I logged in on my account and there it was... her reply. I felt excited. I felt elated. After a year of no contact and despite only a few days we shared in class together, she still remembered me! Her reply contained her phone number and so we started texting. Fortune smiled upon me again when she invited me to watch a movie. Not just any movie but a premiere showing. Wow! how lucky can be I said to myself. Come to think of it, I haven't been inside a theater for at least 2 years I think. The last movie I watched was Star Wars Episode I ( poor me). After the movie I wanted to chat a little bit more but she has to run an errand. I asked her if I can accompany her but she declined and had to leave immidiately . I wonder if I have I lost my touch with women... i sure hope not!! Anyway, I have her number. I know where to find her. I know this innocent encounter will lead us to get to know more about each other and in the end become better friends.

The good thing about this experience is it showed me some light, some sign of hope. It has taught me that no matter how huge the odds are, if you do not bet on it, you will never win. Conversely, no matter how minute or miniscule your chances are, just give it a try, for you will never know what awaits you in the end. Have a little faith brother. Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid!!!

Looking Back

I am fairly green in this blogging thingy. The good thing about it is I'm enjoying it a lot. I treat it as an outlet of my emotions and sometimes therapy for my wounded ego. Most of the time though, giving my 2 cents is enough to feed my need to share info.. Friends, the following is the very first blog i posted in friendster some months back. I suppose its obvious how I was feeling back then.

i am a traveler

I’ve always believed i am a traveler. what matters to me the most is the journey and not the destination. i have always tried to give it my all in everything that i do however difficult the challenges maybe. i am proud of my achievements and prouder still of my failures for without them, i am nothing but an ordinary joe without any depth.

I would say life has been kind to me for i have had the chance to travel far and wide. i have met people of various ways and even got the chance to mingle intimately with some. and in all these journeys, i have learned a lot. i have learned how it feels to hate, how it feels to be angry, desperate, betrayed confused, depressed with the people around me , with the situation i am in, with the person i am intimate with.

but above all the things i have learned, there are things that will stand out the most and that is having learned how , to trust, to care, to love, to hope. because you see, without these things, how can one enjoy traveling?

one must TRUST that every step he takes will lead him somewhere worthwhile….

one must CARE enough of what he is doing; for that is the very essence of the whole endeavor…

one must LOVE the people he meets, the things he sees and encounters for they serve as the fuel that propels you to continue on..

one must HOPE that everything will go well and stay the same for the longest possible time for without it, the traveler would need to take the first step among many in a yet another journey……..

sadly my friends, i travel again!!

Please feel free to comment on this topic. I'm sure your piece of mind will help straighten my thoughts.

go green, you cant go wrong

My love for the environment is deep and true. I try to go green in everything i do. My principle is simple- Go green and you can't go wrong. At first i just wanted to experience nature at its finest. I became a member of a mountaineering club in college and went berserk with it. Almost every week our group would go climb up mountains, forge rivers, go deep underground in caves and sometimes go literally lost in forests. AHHH freedom! That was the good old days. When i finally went out to the real world and joined the workforce, I realized I miss the good old days so much that I couldn't stay with one company. I went around different employers, different industries, different cities but from time to time would go back to my roots which is being a farmer in tuned with nature. You see my parents are born in a family of farmers. My mother is a fourth generation farmer. My father's family owned a rice mill in Bulacan. Fortunately, I inherited from my father my businessman's spirit and from my mother, my being a greeen thumb. My stubborness unfortunately but very proudly I developed on my own.

Every now and then I would engage myself in farming. Either I would venture into livestock or go plowing the fields. Coincidentally our farm is aptly named "Ventures Farms" which is actually a network of small farms in Bulacan, Bataan and Kalookan. Each of these farms practice integrated farming which means we are green. We recycle our waste products. We turn rubbish to fertilizers and try to convert by-products into something useful. One good example is our use of grass and foliage cuttings. in our farm in Bataan we planted improved grass/ foliage varieties such as napier and cow peas. These plants not oly directly serve as food for our livestock but are also able to hold soil very well thus preventing erosion. Those plants that tend to overgrow are made into silage. Siling improves plant matter by allowing beneficial bacteria and enzymes to flourish therefore multiplying its nutritional value several-folds. What others may perceive as simply grass cuttings -farm wastes/rubbish is converted into a nutritional supplement that helps lower overhead costs and upkeep of livestock. How does it help the environment? It eliminates wastes, minimizes materials to incinerate, lowers your farm's green house gas emition makes the planet cooler which eventurally helps your plants grow better.

For tips regarding siling and other green practices you can incorporate in your homes/ farms/ workplace, please dont hesitate to ask. Shoot me an e-mail and i'll be happy to give suggestions.