Invictus by William Ernest Henley

Watching the Capture of the Green River Killer reacquainted me with this poem I memorized in high school.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

3.0

Three years after the G2 blast, time flew so fast! Oh well, here’s my customary entry on the blast in Glorietta. Until now, the whole mall is under renovation. It has been under renovation since the blast happened. I wonder when it will be completed. And whatever happened to the case against the mall?


I haven’t been to Glorietta that much recently due to my recent change in work address. I sometimes forget that blast ever happened. And I wonder if that’s good or not. But whenever I pay the mall a visit and my mind wanders, I still remember the sound of that explosion and easily picture the cloud of dust and flying shards of glass. I am reminded of my own forgetfulness and selfishness.

http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/latest/50397/case-unclosed-glorietta-blast

World Cup for the Homeless

My brother Bob loves football. Because of him, I was able to watch a World Cup match in a sports bar last July. It was a memorable experience with rabid Japanese fans cheering on the only Asian team left at that time. When the World Cup ended and Bob left, so did my affair with football.

But recently, an article caught my eye about this World Cup for the Homeless. According to the rules, the players must be homeless, marginally homeless, or a recovering addict in treatment. I heard about our contingent of “homeless” kids, a few months while reading an article about their win in an international competition. What struck me at that time was the fact that these kids don’t really know how to converse in English but they were able to make lots of friends because of their friendly smiles. And I am thankful to the individuals who supported this worthy cause for a unique team.

The 8 "homeless" boys came home last month after having a respectable showing in the one of kind World Cup. Technically, they were not homeless but they reportedly lived on the streets most of the time. and when most athletes do their weight training in the gym, they carried sand and cement instead. Because during their training, they worked as construction workers so that they still can send money home.  

Though, the cup they were playing for is not as prestigious as the original World Cup..... Though there was no big parade to welcome them when they came home last month. Somehow, I knew their lives were transformed after this experience. Though, a lot of well-meaning people helped and sponsored them throughout their training. What's critical now, is what they will do after without aid from other people. Will this chapter inspire them to achieve more and inspire others? Or is the call of the previous life tug stronger?

Like football, this game of life is relentless struggle to make that precious goal but challenges will deter us from achieving that. Sometimes at the end, it will just be a draw. Sometimes, the whole world is watching but oftentimes it's just a handful few. It all depends what we make of it.

These kids proved that we have the power to rise above our circumstances. May it be in football or in life.

Daddy's Little Girl

5 years ago to this day, I was in a coffee shop in the heart of Makati. I was listening to my youngest sister and mom crying on the other end of the line. Still a vivid memory.


Just a short note to remember my Dad.

My mom said our youngest is really a daddy's girl. As if to prove it, she got news that she passed the nursing board on our dad's supposed 65th birthday. And she took her oath five years since the day he returned home.


Yes Patang, you are daddy's little girl. We are all very proud of you....for what you have achieved despite the many obstacles along the way.

Angas Overheard

Why sunflowers?

Because they're protecting the house where the brains are.

Lupang Hinirang

May mga araw na mababaw ang luha ko. This is one of those days. When we sang Lupang Hinirang at the start of the Department of Tourism-sponsored run, tears welled up my eyes. Suddenly the words of our national anthem took whole new meaning.


With the recent turn of events, my sense of national pride was at a low, if not an all-time low. Who doesn't? But a visit to Quirino, seeing and rediscovering the beauty that is old Manila, or hearing of HK teens hugging Filipinos. The spirit of volunteerism and the positivity I hear in others, somehow uplifted my spirits.

We are a race that prides itself of being resilient amidst adversities. And yet after getting beaten black and blue, you get numb and that resilient spirit you are so proud can easily evolve into indifference.

That incident was a major blow in this already castigated nation. Admittedly, we did a lot of things wrong on August 23, during and even in the aftermath of the tragedy. We failed.

However, I agree with one article, we shouldn't let this one incident define us as a nation. But as we learned in forecasting, most recent history has the greatest weight in projecting the outcome of an event. And that recent event defined us as a people, our system and the climate which we live in.

And we cannot blame anyone who has lost faith in our fellowmen and the system we have put in place. Maybe that was the reason the tears came, because for a moment, I have lost faith.

And yet hearing the words of the national anthem, I was reminded that despite its many imperfections, we live in a country that has been lambasted and yet has the audacity to stand proud and smile. Is it indifference? Callousness? Or is it the capacity to roll with the punches and get up after a knockdown?

No words or new negotation team can bring back the lives lost. What we can do is move on and ensure that we know what to do when (God forbid) this happens again.

Lupang Hinirang, now might not be your proudest moment. But I still believe in the capacity of your people to adjust and move on. After all, a pearl is a product of dirt in the ocean. If only we can the harness the power of an oyster.....

Kobe

Back in high school, a trip to Kobe, Japan did not push through because of the 1995 earthquake. My classmates and I were supposed to go to Kobe on an educational tour sponsored by the city's local government. Due to the cancellation, they sent us an apology letter and a miniature japanese umbrella.

I forgot all about that near miss until we passed by Kobe. The city where my favorite baskatball player got his name. I didn't get to go around the city, I just caught a glimpse of it from the rapid train to another city in Southern Japan.

Famous for its prime beef, it didn't fit on our hectic 7-day round-about the land of the rising sun. Maybe the next time I'm here, I'll definitely swing by. And after what I've seen, heard and experienced in the land of the rising sun, there'll surely be a next time.

Though, I was not given the opportunity to visit Kobe before, I am thankful to pass by it 15 years later. Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not really "No" it is somtimes "Not Yet".

But sometimes we have to prepare ourselves for the "Not ever" reply.