So, Light!

I just read a news item by AP (Associated Press) saying "The era of Clintons soon over" and quoting Clinton-era Republican strategist Mary Matalin. What a clever spin!

Our friend and Multiply contact Mike Marasigan (mcmike) emailed this link. Mukhang enjoy itong event na ito. =)

Over a year ago, my best friend Ninskie told me about this 10-day meditation course that involved ten days of complete silence. That bit about the silence intrigued the chatterbox in me. Hmmm, can I avoid talking for even a day?

Our schedules did not allow us to go last year, so I completely forgot about it. But as I was cleaning up my email boxes in the first week of February this year, I saw Ninskie’s March 2007 email about the Vipassana Meditation Course. When I checked their website, I found that there was going to be a course on February 27 to March 9! I immediately told Ninskie about it and said I thought it was meant to be that we attend the course this year.

Unfortunately, Ninskie’s schedule would not allow her to attend again this year. But I decided that I would go.

I must admit that I went into the course with nothing more in mind than to test myself. I wasn’t looking for some enlightenment. Neither was I having some emotional turmoil that needed to be calmed. But that was just as well, because the Philippine Vipassana Meditation Society (PVMS) discourages people who go into the course looking for some emotional or spiritual quick fix.

The PVMS states that: “…Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for…. people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course.”

According to Wikipedia:

“….Vipassana is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation, rediscovered by Gautama Buddha 2500 years ago. It is a way of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection.

It is often referred to by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike simply as "insight meditation".

While vipassanā is a type of Buddhist meditation as taught by the Buddha, it is essentially non-sectarian in character and has universal application. One need not convert to Buddhism to practice (it).

…..The actual instructions for vipassana meditation are not often published in clear terms in public venues…. to avoid confusion and prevent incorrect technique. The instructions are not esoteric or difficult but basically involve retraining the mind to avoid its innate conditioned response to most stimuli.

In order to obtain maximum benefit, it is recommended that (vipassana meditation) be learned from a legitimate source as it does have deep cleansing effects.” (underscoring mine)

The PVMS uses the vipassana teaching technique of S.N. Goenka from Burma, who keeps strictly to the lay nature of his teachings. Although advocating the Buddhist way of life, he does not encourage any religious conversion. Furthermore, Goenka’s courses are given for free. The course expenses are covered by voluntary donations of grateful benefactors from past courses. 

There is something about teachings that are given for free. Without any strings attached. Without any expectations of reward. Gary Craig, the developer of EFT (see my blog about EFT - http://gwiz.multiply.com/journal/item/2/EFT) allows one to download the manual from his website for free. He sells EFT instructional videos, but allows the buyer to reproduce them and give away to friends! Craig’s reasoning: if more people practice EFT and achieve personal peace, then we would have a more peaceful world. Amen to that.

But I digress, hehe. And so, on a sunny Wednesday, the 27^th of February, my son Leon brought me to the Sico Farm in Dasmariñas, Cavite. I was to begin my ten days of silence the next day.

The course venue consists of separate men’s and women’s quarters and dining halls and a common meditation hall, nestled amidst towering royal palm and mango trees. There are areas in the garden where one can sit quietly. We were served delicious vegetarian breakfast and lunch. No dinner though, just an afternoon tea break wherein we were given fruit and various teas.

We were told to practice “noble silence” during the whole run of the course. This meant not uttering a single word, unless it is to ask a question of the teacher or to speak with the course coordinators on other urgent relevant matters. Physical contact with others is not allowed, not even eye contact. This is so that each student is not distracted and is able to concentrate on the meditation.

Our days started with a 4:00 am wake up call, 4:30 - 6:30 meditation, breakfast at 6:30, meditation again at 8:00 - 11:00, lunch at 11:00, meditation again at 1:00 - 5:00 pm, tea break at 5:00, meditation 6:00 - 7:00, teacher’s discourse 7:00 - 8:15, meditation 8:15 - 9:00, and lights out at 10:00.

At this point, I would like to share that I had gone into the vipassana course in a state of mind that has already been becalmed by EFT. I always said that everything happens for a reason, at the right time and place.

The universe had led me first to reiki, then to EFT, then showed me The Secret, and finally reminded me of vipassana. After the ten days (whew!) I say, the experience rounds off this light tripping of mine.

While EFT helped me process a lot of my emotional traumas/issues – Craig says that an average person has hundreds of them that has accumulated since the time of birth – the technique still allowed me to choose what to process. To do EFT is a conscious effort of will to address what we want to address.

Like, my father died in 2006 and I was grief-stricken. Now, grief we must all admit, is rooted in issues. I had so many “what ifs” and “if onlys” with regards my father’s death. After some time, my husband asked me why I wasn’t doing EFT for my grief over my father’s death. I said, “It seems too soon for me to stop grieving for him.” But when I finally did process, I became genuinely happy about my father’s passing.

When I started practicing vipassana by the last 6 days of the 10-day course, I still had issues in my life (though not grave ones, just enough for my self-indulgence, hehe). Surprisingly, whatever issues there were that I had been holding off processing with EFT had gone by the end of the course! 

How do I describe what the vipassana course had done to me? It has deepened my sense of inner joy, this personal peace, that had been building up since I discovered EFT. I go about my days with more equanimity. It is also clearer to me now how personal peace enables me to effortlessly feel this sense of goodwill towards all beings.

Light in your hearts!

Note: There is going to be another vipassana course in May, details as follows:

D ATE: May 7 - 18, 2008

LOCATION: Sico Farm, Dasmarinas, Cavite

For information or to apply for the course, please contact:

Landlines: 6951099, 6393047 / Cell nos: 0917-882 5541, 0917-800 4530 / Fax: 746-7134

e-mail vipassana_rp@yahoo.com or info@ph.dhamma.org 

You may apply on-line through the website: http://www.dhamma.org

It was the time for special treats and eats, the highest point of the year for all Pinoys in Pinas – Pasko at Bagong Taon. About ten years ago to the season, I had decided to buy a native chicken to cook as special tinola for the family. Since native chickens cannot be bought dressed and frozen from the supermarket, I bought a live one from the wet market of Fairview in Quezon City. (Yes, it seems like eons ago that we lived in smoggy Filinvest I.)

As we were busy preparing various other viands for the festivities, the chicken managed to free itself and flew off! Until that time, I didn’t know that native chickens, unlike other imported breeds, could fly high almost like other birds. Oh, well. I just charged the loss of some of my marketing money to experience.

Days later, after espying the prodigal chicken on the branches of the chico tree by the garage from time to time, the kids excitedly reported discovering eggs in one of the empty flower pots in the back garden. Our chicken had nested and laid eggs in an earthenware bed! She is a mother, chirped the kids! We all decided to stop scheming at trying to snare her for the stew pot and keep her as a pet instead. Of course, as a pet, she had to be named.

The kids remembered a favorite chicken story by comics writer/illustrator Gerry Alanguilan. The story had a one-eyed, sideways-strutting rooster named Mr. Solano as protagonist. Aha, perfect! Thus did our pet mother hen acquire a name – Mrs. Solano – and the unsuspecting literary rooster acquire a wife and brood.

Mrs. Solano’s eggs hatched and soon, mother and children had the run of the back garden. Although our kids had wanted to also give names to the chicks of Mrs. Solano, I resisted. For at the back of my mind I was still hoping to recoup my initial investment in the first chicken by eventually having its offspring in my tinola! You can’t go around naming your would-be food, can you? You wouldn’t want to eat an acquaintance, would you?

My daughter Pika had no such qualms, it turned out. She knew the original intent for Mrs. Solano and being (I suspect) an OC like me, I think she never quite got over the fact that this chicken was still scot-free. I also think she was influenced by the cook and the driver who both kept tabs on how plump the chicks were getting to be.

One day, after we had done our grocery shopping at Ever Gotesco Supermarket, Pika, Boboy and I decided to have merienda at the nearby Shakey’s. It was a Sunday and the restaurant was almost full of diners.

Out of the blue, uttered in her clear little girl’s voice, Pika asked, “Eh, Tatay, kailan ba natin papatayin si Mrs. Solano?”

To which, Boboy nonchalantly retorted, “Huwag na si Mrs. Solano. Matanda na yun. Yung mga anak na lang niya ang patayin natin.”

SILENCE. I could feel the air thicken with the smothered gasps of the people in nearby tables. Everybody just stopped talking! I knew they were trying hard not to look directly at us. Even the waiters were reluctant to approach us. Until we left that restaurant, I knew the people there were dying to know (pun unintended) what nefarious act this seemingly normal, harmless-looking family was going to commit.

Postscript:

One by one, Mrs. Solano and her children started to disappear – but not into our cooking pot. We suspected the construction workers down the street.

Our driver Mang Bobby, not wanting to lose out to the chicken thief, caught the last two chickens and our cook Marlen finally made tinolang native na manok! Alas, despite our not having named them, we still couldn’t eat them.

Tell me if you still think this is funny: when one goes to Starbucks and orders coffee, one has to decide from a slew of blends, then what size, then if we want it sweet (with brown or white sugar or equal), then if we want it with milk that is whole, low fat or half & half! It is only a cup of coffee, for goodness sake! =)

But then again, as Nora Ephron also says, Starbucks offers us an illusion that we are in control of our lives, even for just our coffee. LOL! =)

This blog is going to be brief despite the title that invites long discussion.

This brouhaha in the international press about the tragedy in Virginia Tech seems to be focusing mostly on the gunman's profile and how all the signals slipped unnoticed through society's mesh that is supposed to be a safety catch.

I have only one comment. If there are NO GUNS to be easily bought, there would have been no mass shootings. All this talk about civil liberties especially the right of the individual to bear arms and defend himself is B__L S__T. Availability of guns for any Tom, Dick or Harry (pardon the cliche) has no bearing, in my opinion, on crime rates – a much-debated issue in gun control.

Gun advocates say: people kill, not guns. STUPID ARGUMENT.

If all those mass shooters had no easy way of accessing guns, there would have been no Columbine High, no Waco, Texas, no Virginia Tech carnage.

I would like to share this film by another Pinoy that also made it to The Lot. It is by Eli Africa, a former student of Hugz and teacher of Pika in UP College of Fine Arts. The film touched my heart. So Pinoy.

Please go to this link to view it: http://films.thelot.com/films/33155

Love is in the air, my Multiply friends! Humor me by granting me some bragging rights of posting our 33rd wedding anniversary vows. Aba, aba, aba, e hindi po biro ang mag-asawa. Like it said in my previous blog "Did I Marry the Right Person?", marriage is literally a LABOR OF LOVE. We continue to thank God for granting us the stamina for it, hehe.

SUPPLICATION ON THE 33RD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF
BOBOY AND GUIA YONZON
JUNE 10, 2006

Today, we celebrate our 33rd year of marriage with meditative awe. We were very young when we entered into our union, unsure of ourselves, unsure of the world. But with love, understanding, patience and hard work, we have blossomed and endured. We have shared seasons of immense joy and laughter, grief and sorrow, triumphs and setbacks. But all in all, the world showed us its bright, smiling face.

We are thankful for the countless blessings that we have. We are grateful for many caring friends and relatives. And most of all, we are thankful for our wonderful children and grandchildren. May our tribe grow and continue to care for each other as well as for other people.

As a couple, we have become better friends. Discovering each other is a never-ending wonder. We are yin and yang, complementing each other’s order and chaos. We continue to grow. We continue to support each other’s strength. We continue to face each other’s weakness with fortitude, sometimes with exasperation, but most of the time, with growing wisdom.

We have seen a lot of the world and have looked inside ourselves many times. Today, we reaffirm our union. Like everybody, we face seasons of doubt and uncertainties. The world is full of mysteries and sometimes we are perplexed by our destinies, as individuals and as a couple. As both of us race beyond half a century in life on earth, we would like to put our lives in the context of the universe.

We ask that our union be continuously blessed. May our hearts stay young and open. May we be full of love and passion for each other. May we be full of understanding of each other’s anxieties and fears. May our discovery of each other’s wonder never cease. May we be always eager for life’s adventure. May we see our children nourish a heritage that would enrich (our fellowmen) other men. Lastly, having pledged to grow older together, may we grow old with verve and grace.

This was an email I sent out last June 2006. I thought I'd post it here in my Multiply site. Our daughter Pika, posted the photos of our  33rd anniversary  celebration, see http://silverpixie.multiply.com/photos/album/137

Hi,

Boboy and I just celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary last Saturday, June 10. We, along with the children & their partners and the grandchildren, went to a Buddhist temple to have our union blessed. No, we haven't turned Buddhist, but to quote from our supplication that we read during the ceremony - "we would like to put our lives in the context of the universe."

And so, Boboy says we will mark succeeding anniversaries in other temples or churches that would allow us! How New Age-ish. =)

Naturally, my thoughts and emotions have been focused on marriage these past days – not only because I am menopausal emotional. I believe that everything happens for a reason - so when I stumbled upon this posting "Did I marry the right person?" in a newly discovered site, I thought I'd share it.

When everything else is said and done, it is still the commitment to make the relationship work that counts - whether you are married or not.

So, here goes:

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?"

In all seriousness, she answered, "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept off my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there, doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller, even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages break down. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness (consciously or subconsciously) and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.


SUSTAINING LOVE is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... not just a feeling.

bananaking69 in Canada said:
"And the women don't shave their armpits, right? Yikes!"

nenriquezschanowski in Germany said:
Oh oh..the older ones they didn't..this is something again for the eyes to get used to... kasi livig in a cold- weather country, most women are not really pressured to make this part cosmeticized and maintained.

my take in the Philippines:

But this thing about underarm hair is just practical necessity. You are right, Nona, if you live in a cold weather country, it makes sense not to get rid of underarm hair. Did you know that it keeps one warm? Thus, it is accepted in cold-country culture.

I do not know if it is really wise of the younger generation there to shave or get rid of their underarm hair just because the prevalent western standards of "beauty" dictates so. Of course, with modern clothing, one can still keep warm sans the armpit fuzz.

I remember in high school, we were trained to be "proper" ladies by making us wear nylon stockings and high heels (at least 2 inches) twice a week in our senior year. I was miserable on these days. One, the nylons were hot. Two, the 2-inch heels were torture for walking.

Who ever said that we Filipinas wouldn't be considered proper ladies if we didn't wear hose? That is b_ll sh_t, I used to say. Wearing hose is an American way because it is cold there. I have no business wearing them here and perspiring throughout the day!

The high heels is another matter. Although my husband finds it sexy (for the life of me, I can't understand where he got that cultural conditoning, hehe), I also refuse to wear these torture instruments. Once in a while, yes, on special occasions – they can look real pretty. But I am content with my sandals and low-heeled step-ins and rubber shoes. During the rainy season and the cold months, I do wear pumps and boots. But I will curse you to damnation (hehe) if you make me wear boots in Manila during the summer months!

Our guests last Christmas, Justin and Erin Choo, told us about how the buildings and the transport system in Hongkong (where they live) are chilling cold. So much so that you have to be always in coat and tie going to work. Well, I think it is because of the colonials who used to lord it over there. They came from cold countries, could not stand the tropic heat, and so put in the air-conditioning. Then they pushed down low the thermostat to approximate their clime. It didn’t cross their minds to simply adopt the locals’ clothing!

Thus, do I rest my case. =)

Our youngest son, Leon, went back to Quezon City yesterday afternoon. He hitched a ride with his diko who had come to Tagaytay to pick up one of our masons who will help him in finishing one of his construction projects. Leon's diko is Bruno, our second son, the architect. He is married and lives with his wife's family in Quezon City. We have two other children with families of their own – Atong in Dasmariñas, Cavite and Pika in Quezon City. The thing is, with our eldest son Zach getting married and now living in Quezon City, too, Leon is the last of my babies to be still staying with us in Tagaytay. And yet, he has also declared his independence by teaming up with two other friends and getting an apartment in Loyola Heights.

I found myself tearfully waving good-bye to my two sons, not taking my eyes off the car until it turned the corner and out of sight. Then my tears just kept on flowing. I felt so alone. It didn't help that Boboy, my husband, was in Davao and would not be back home until Saturday night. It is times like this that makes me realize how attached I am to my children. Then I am reminded of The Prophet's words to parents about children –  "they belong not to you."

Much as I wish to hold on to their company, to hold them back for even just a little bit more time, I know that is not what is meant to be.  Although I accept that knowledge, acceptance  does not ease the pain in my heart. I miss my children so.

"For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."

Thus am I comforted. That I may have sent them forth straight and true to their destinies.
 

Got this item in my email. Read on, Pinoys... it is hilarious! =)

Wala na namang magawa.......

1. Noong 1940's, kapag may bra ang babae, pinagbubulungan na at mababansagang malandi. Noon din ay may French perfume na ang tatak ay Eclat (silent T). Kaya ang taong maarte ay tinawag ng mga Pinoy na Eclat (pronounce the T). Ngayon kapag maraming tsetseburetse at kaartehan ganon din ang tawag, "Ang dami mo namang eklat." Kinalaunan, pinaikli pa ang eklat at naging ek-ek- "Ang tagal mo namang magdesisyon kung sasama ka o hindi! Ang dami mong ek-ek!"

2. Noong elementary ako, uso pa ang Wakasan, sinusubaybayan ko ang nobelang Tubig at Langis; ang Movie Especial na komiks kung saan kapanapanabik ang bawat eksena sa buhay ni Zuma na siya namang ama ni Galema. Sa komiks ang tawag sa babaeng nagbebenta ng panandaliang aliw ay baylerina. Kinalaunan, naging belyas, tapos naging English, hospitality girls tapos ngayon GRO.

3. Elementary ako nang makagisnan ko ang batian "Give Me Five." Masyado yatang pormal ang handshake kaya "Give me Five, Man" ang pumalit. Tuwang-tuwa ang mga magulang kapag natutunan ng kanilang anak na paslit ang mag-give me five. Tapos sa mga American games, naging High Five o "Give me five, up here!" Hindi pahuhuli ang Pinoy basta galing sa America . Ang "Give me five, up here" ay naging "Appear". Halos lahat yata ng Pinoy babies ganito ang series of training, "Anak, where is the light; where is the moon?" Ang nadagdag, "Appear! Appear!" At dahil sa E.T. ni Speilberg, "Align, Align!" Again, tuwang-tuwa ang mga magulang.

4. Nang mag-Community Medicine ako noon sa isang slum area ng Sta. Ana Manila. Ito ang top 3 gamit na hindi mawawala sa mga bahay, gaano mang kaliit ang barung-barong:
1. Panyong may tatak na panalangin ng El Shaddai
2. Television
3. Karaoke.
Kakambal na ng Pinoy ang pagkanta. Noon, kapag nagkakantahan, gamit ay gitara at song hits (Jingle). Napalitan ito nang 70's-80's ng minus one. Tapos, karaoke. Ngayon, videoke, at sa huling talaan ng pagkakaalam ko, 8 na ang namamatay sa "My Way." Naalala ko noong elementary pa ko, nagtayo ang kuya ko at ng kanyang mga kaibigan ng isang Combo. Ngayon, ang tawag sa singing group ay-- Band, hindi na Combo at ang Combo ngayon ay tumutukoy sa Jollibee o McDonald's promo.

5. Sa PGH, may tinatawag na Central Block. Nandoon ang Radiology Department kung saan ginagawa ang mga X-rays, Ultrasound, CT Scan at Radiotherapy. Dito ko naobserbahan ang evolution ng mga pinoy medical terms. May mga pasyente o bantay na aking nasasalubong, ang madalas magtanong ng direksyon. Mga Versions ng CT Scan: (Ganon na rin yon, no!)
1. "Dok saan po ba ang Siete Scan?"
2. "Doc saan po ba magpapa-CT Skull?"
3. "Doc saan po ba CT Scalp?"
4. "Doc saan po ang CT Scam?"

Madalas akong mapagtanungan ng direction papunta sa Cobalt Room. "Doc, saan po ba ang Cobal?" Yes, laging walang T, marami na ang ginagamit na term ay Cobal. Saan napunta ang "T". Marami din kasing nagtatanong, "Doc, saan po ba ang papuntang X-Tray?" Conclusion: Ang "T" ng Cobalt, ay napunta sa X-Tray.

7:00 am. Nagbigay ang kasamahan kong doktor ng instruction sa bantay ng pasyente, "Mister, punta po kayo sa Central Block at magpa-schedule kayo ng X-ray ng pasyente ninyo."

3:00 pm. Kadarating lang ng bantay. Nagalit na ang doktor, "Mister, bakit namang napakatagal ninyong bumalik? Pina-schedule ko lang naman ang X-ray ah." Sumagot ang bantay, "Eh kasi po Doc, ang tagal kong naghintay sa gate, haggang sabihin ng guwardiya na sarado daw po ang Central Bank kasi Sabado ngayon." (Nasa Roxas Blvd ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, at sarado nga naman yon kapag Sabado.)

6. Nang mag-rotate ako as intern sa Pediatrics ng PGH, mahal na mahal talaga ng mga nanay ang kanilang mga anak na may sakit. Pilit nilang tinatandaan ang mga gamot at tawag sa sakit ng kanilang anak.

Doktor: "Mrs. ano po ang mga gamot na iniinom ng anak niyo?"
Mrs 1: "Doc phenobarbiedoll po."
Doktor: "Ah baka po phenobarbital." (Gamot sa convulsion ang phenobarbital.)

Doktor: "Mrs. ano po ba ang antibiotic na iniinom ng anak ninyo?"
Mrs 2: "Doc metro-manila-zole po."
Doktor: "Ah baka po metronidazole." (Gamot sa amoeba ang metronidazole.)

Ang tawag sa recovery room ng PGH ay PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit)
Doktor: "Mrs., tapos na po ang operasyong ng anak ninyo, punta na po kayo sa PACU."
Mrs 3: "Eh Doc, saan po sa Paco? Sa may simbahan po ba o sa may palengke?

Doktor: "Mrs. ano po ba ang sinabi ng dating doktor kung ano daw ang sakit ng inyong anak?"
Mrs 4: "Eh Doc, sabi po niya Tragedy of Fallot.
Doktor: "Ah baka po Tetralogy of Fallot (Isang congenital Heart Disease ang Tetralogy of Fallot.)

Biglang nagtatarang ang isang nanay at sumigaw.
Mrs. 5: "Scissors! Scissors! Nag-sciscissors ang anak ko, Doc!"
Doktor: "Nurse, diazepam please, nag-seizure ang pasyente!

Doktor: "Mrs. ano daw po ba ang sakit ng anak ninyo?"
Mrs. 6: "May ketong daw po. "
In-examine ng doktor ang balat ng pasyente. Wala siyang makitang senyales ng ketong. Tumawag pa siya ng isang dermatologist para mag-examine nang husto. Wala talaga.
Doktor: "Mrs. sigurado po ba kayong ketong ang sakit ng bata?"
Mrs 6: "Eh iyon po ang sabi ng doktor niya dati. Mataas daw po ang ketong sa ihi dahil may diabetes."
Doktor: "Ah ketone po yon! (Ang positive ketone sa ihi ay senyales ng kumplikasyon ng diabetes.)

Doktor: (Sa buntis na mrs. na nagle-labor) "Mrs. pumutok na po ba ang panubigan mo?"
Mrs 7: "Eh Doc, wala naman po akong narinig na pagsabog. " (Hanep!)

ACTUAL SENTENCES FOUND IN PATIENT'S MEDICAL CHARTS:

1. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

2. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.

3. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.

4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.

6. Discharge status: live but without permission.

7. The patient refused autopsy. (JOY U. AYAW TALAGA EH)

8. The patient has no previous history of suicides.

9. She is numb from her toes down.

10. While in ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

11. The skin was moist and dry.

12. Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

13. Patient was alert and unresponsive. (TULIRO?)

14. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid. (Really looonnng fingers huh?)

15. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.

16. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

17. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.

18. Skin: somewhat pale but present.

19. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

I got this piece in my email. I hope it touches all of you as it has touched me. I believe that the act of forgiveness is one of the most (if not the most) difficult acts to genuinely achieve. Yet true forgiveness (especially of one's self) is, I think, the most powerful healing energy.

Light in your hearts! Here goes:

In the final analysis, the questions of why bad things 
happen to good people transmutes itself into some very 
different questions, no longer asking why something 
happened, but asking how we will respond, what we 
intend to do now that it happened. - Harold S. Kushner

Like you, I was shocked at the events in Lancaster County. 
It seems impossible to understand how or why this 
happened.

It is even more difficult to imagine what the Amish 
community is experiencing.

And I am in awe at their response.

Would I be able to forgive someone who injured my pet, let 
alone traumatized and killed my child?

Would you?

Perhaps in months... or years...

But days after?

DAYS?

Yesterday, a representative from the Amish community 
showed up on the doorstep of the family of the man 
responsible for the tragic event, and offered forgiveness 
and support.

In the midst of their own pain, the Amish community is 
reaching out and offering comforts to others.

Instead of responding with hate and seeking revenge, they 
are urging forgiveness and turning the other cheek.

Sure, most religious and spiritual practices promote 
forgiveness. But how may of us actually practice what we |
preach?

More than being awed, I am humbled.

I wonder if the Amish are trying to figure out why the 
young women had to die? Or if they realize what an impact 
their response can have on the evolution of the rest of us?
 
With the response of the Amish community, this is no 
longer a tragedy, but a guiding light for our planet. A 
chance for people to recognize and realize that we don't 
have to live in revenge and hatred, that we always have the 
opportunity to choose acceptance and forgiveness.

Yes, I know how difficult it can be to forgive. Although it 
is the best choice we can make to protect our own heart (4th 
Chakra) energies, forgiveness is often a difficult choice. 
We have to give up the need to know why, disconnect from 
our ego, and accept that there is something going on that is 
greater than us that we may never understand.

Everyday, we have the opportunity to make that choice. To 
choose forgiveness over revenge. To choose love over fear.

Hopefully, we will never have to experience such personal 
trauma to make that choice.

Hopefully, the example of the Amish community is the 
impetus the rest of us need to choose forgiveness.

Let us pray that we can honor the Amish response by 
humbly following their example.

Let us pray that our leaders can honor the Amish response 
by humbly following their example.

Let us pray that these young ladies did not experience this 
in vain... that we will all continue choosing forgiveness.

Love & light,
Gwenn

Gwenn Bonnell
www.Chakrativity.com
www.tapintoheaven.com
954-370-1552

© Copyright 2005 Gwenn Bonnell, All Rights Reserved
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
954-370-1552


Heaven on Earth, 1550 SW 139 Ave, Davie, FL 33325, USA

I'm reading Tarot now every Tuesday 4 to 7 pm at Da Seekers Cove in Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas. My friend Shinette, a psychologist, who owns the place taught me and Ninskie how to read this mystical deck of cards. Ninskie reads every Tuesday and Friday 10 am to 5 pm.

Now, don't freak out that we two seemingly level-headed 50-something professionals have gone cuckoo. Far from it. But as Shinette stresses to anyone who comes to the Cove for a reading – "We are not fortune-tellers. We use the cards as a tool to help people understand what is happening to them, in their lives. And hopefully be able to give some good counsel." The Tarot is but an entry point to self-awareness that we readers are only too happy to facilitate.

It is very interesting how Shinette taught us how to read. We were forbidden to read or memorize the cards' meanings at first. We were only given the names and general characteristics of the 22 major arcanas and the four suits or minor arcanas. Then she made us read and read right away, using our intuition. We were simply told to connect to the energy of the querrent and the cards and to intuit what the universal life force has to say about it. Ang galing! I think the method is very effective because Ninskie and I learned very quickly. Though I guess it is also because we two are very intuitive.

Shinette (a psychologist, Kalimasada practitioner, Tarot reader and personal & organizational development consultant), Ninskie (a reiki master, EFT practitioner, Tarot reader and HRD consultant), Gigi (a reiki master like Ninskie, a lawyer who is studying to be a pre-school teacher, a rohun therapist and soon-to-be Tarot reader) and I (a reiki and EFT practitioner, Tarot reader and communications strategist) have formed this group that aims to share and propagate locally the various healing energy modalities that we know. We envision a center wherein people will come, both to be healed and to learn to heal others – physically, mentally, emotionally and most especially spiritually. For now, Da Seekers Cove in Robinson's Galleria is our base.

I extend this invitation to everyone to come join us in our journey. Light in your hearts!

Got this from a horoscope site, hehe:

Heard the old adage that opposites attract but
don't stay together? It's true that most of us
choose friends and colleagues that share our basic
personality traits, finding it easy to understand
and interact with them, so you'd think it would
be natural that we'd also choose romantic mates
who are just like our fabulous selves.

Often though, when it comes to a life-long coupling,
many happily marrieds will tell you their surprising
formula for success was to choose someone more
their opposite or complement. A life-long, loving
partnership is a team sport, and it's important
for the "teammates" to have skills and talents
that are complementary to the strengths and
limitations of the other, in order to make it to
the "championships of love" and get that "happily
ever after" trophy we all long for.

While research shows that people in successful
unions have similar values and priorities,
combining the different talents and life strategies
of the two individuals builds each person's
character and creates a more powerful, dynamic duo.
For instance, the extrovert who is on the run all
the time may be mellowed by joining forces with a
laid-back introvert, while the introvert, in turn,
can learn to be more social and proactive by uniting
with their adventurous, high-energy other half. The
philosophical dreamer may become more realistic
about the practicalities of modern life by connecting
with a detail-oriented, linear thinker. This
grounded analyst may, in turn, learn from their
starry-eyed beloved to value their dreams and reach
for their own stars.

I was browsing the net last Saturday for natural ways to manage high blood pressure. I have stopped taking my meds and had been managing my high blood pressure for months now, actually. But in recent times, I have been having elevated readings. E ayaw ko naman bumalik sa pag-take ng meds.

I found this site EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques (www.emofree.com). It is somewhat similar to Reiki (the healing modality that Tita Ninskie is a Master already, and I a novice). It operates on the principle that "the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system". EFT works by tapping on the body's energy meridians in order to unblock or ease the energy flow. Para bang acupuncture/acupressure method, kaya lang applied to emotional/psychological issues. But how does it relate to my high blood pressure? Simply that they say "unresolved emotional issues are the main cause of 85% of all illnesses." Wow.

So, I downloaded their manual. Guys, for free! The more I thought that this is for real. They give it away! Of course, they sell training CDs and videos too, but as the host of the site (Gary Craig) said - they are more interested in having more people learn this invaluable mental health tool than making more money.

In short, I studied and applied EFT. Hehe, I even made a list of my emotional issues - all the waaay back to when I was four years old, was in grade school, was newlywed, a young mother.....And guess what? EFT works! Well, my high blood pressure is still there (though lower) but I tell you - EFT really works.

Like, I have this memory, wherein every time I recall it I feel a palpable physical pain in my heart. I don't know if any of you feel this kind of thing, too - yun bang parang may kirot sa puso o dibdib? Well, I used EFT on this particular memory and....the pain associated with this memory is now gone! I can now recall it and think about it with no rancour whatsoever - and to think that I have felt this hurt/pain for more than thirty years without it being eased by passage of time. And in less than five minutes of EFT, it was gone.

The human aura has several layers - the innermost soul or spiritual core, then the emotional layer, then reason or logical layer, and the outermost physical layer. Dis-ease in the physical layer is the last manifestation of an inner disturbance. So, it is reasonable to believe that we can be physically healed once emotional issues are addressed.

I intend to now go into this journey of emotional healing. Don't get me wrong. I don't think I can be described as clinically depressed or anything of that sort, but - like many of us - I have emotional issues accumulated through the years. I am like a fat onion with many emotional layers to be peeled off.

Tita Ninskie says we have been living our lives for others for so long, it is about time we lived it for ourselves. Hmmm, but I like living my life for others! For Tatay, the kids, even the grandkids. Let us see. I might find myself living my life for myself once I have peeled the onion!

Tatay, I think, thinks I have gone into one of my quixotic pursuits again. Hehe. But I am trying to help him get rid of his low back pain. So far, EFT hasn't worked for him. But I will persist (it also says in the manual that persistence pays off big in terms of healing).